The Best Cookies
by XenonRaumzeit
Summary: An unfortunate cookie accident leads Weiss and Ruby to re-evaluate how they see their partnership. Whether or not Weiss survives the ordeal is a different story. (Cookies AU!)
1. The Best Cookies

Ruby quietly hummed to herself as she carefully carried the giant plate of cookies back to the dorm room. Somehow she had finished her essay before the rest of the team, even the ever studious Weiss, and decided to make a treat for them. Under the guise of using the training room for weapons practice she instead had spent half the day baking, using her mother's perfect recipe. She knew that Yang and Blake would enjoy them. However, she was a little nervous about whether or not Weiss would. The snow-haired girl didn't like sweets, much less cookies.

Maybe Weiss would like her cookies. Then she would get a rare Ice Queen smile. Her partner hadn't smiled much over the last year and a half, but when she did, it was the better than the sweetest strawberries. She knew she would do anything to elicit one of those beautiful smiles.

Ruby shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out. Like Weiss would ever think of her the same way. The older girl was too perfect. Besides, rumor was another guy had asked her to the dance this year and she probably didn't even swing her way anyways. Well, at least they could still be friends.

As she got to the door she ran into a dilemma. With both hands managing the precarious towers of baked goods, she couldn't reach her scroll to unlock the door. While she was debating if it would be better to try to set the plate down, or knock and possibly interrupt the girls studying inside, she heard a series of loud shouts from several parties ring out. Before she could react, the door flew open, crashing into her and knocking the cookies out of her hands, her hard work cascading to the ground.

All she heard before sinking to her knees was a loud and angry Weiss yelling.

"You dunce!"

* * *

To say Weiss was irritated was an understatement. She was making no progress on her essay and somehow Ruby had finished hours ago. She was at the top of the class in academics, it should have been her that was the first one done.

Now the girl had disappeared to the training room, leaving Weiss to the mercy of Yang's increasingly annoying study habits. She had no idea how Blake put up with the blonde's antics. Even before the two had started dating, Blake seemed completely immune to her partner's noisy actions despite sharing a desk from day one. Sure enough, when she looked over to the couple, there were sitting shoulder to shoulder reading through reference material.

That's not to say Ruby didn't have her own ticks. Whenever Weiss studied with the younger girl it was a constant stream of foot bouncing, finger drumming, pencil tapping, humming, and sighing. No matter how much the heiress tried to silence her, it only seemed to increase the black-and-red-haired girl's hyper-active tendencies. However, when Ruby fidgeted it was less annoying and more endearing. There was something charming about the girl that Weiss herself didn't understand.

Now that she was thinking about her partner she realized she was losing focus on the essay that sat unfinished on her desk. When they had first met, the girl had been insufferable. Whiny, childish, and immature; Ruby still was those things, but it didn't bother her anymore. If anything, those traits drew Weiss in like a lodestone, dominating her thoughts. No one had ever managed to ensnare her in such a way.

She had "dated" before. Forced matchings with some entitled heir set up by her father and the boy's parents. They had never gone past the first outing, and she never, ever let them touch her. The closest thing she had ever had to an actual date was when she attended the dance last year with Neptune. Still, he was no better than the others. Not long after he had shown his womanizing ways. Thankfully, the only contact she had had with him was the bare minimum required to actually dance with another person.

Nothing before had affected her quite like proximity to her leader. Every hug, every accidental bump, every smile did things to her heart she didn't quite comprehend. Maybe with Ruby she could have something denied to her her entire life.

She tried to shake those thoughts from her head. Like her father would allow that. She could hear his voice now. 'No daughter of mine, no Schnee heiress, will ever have a relationship with another woman.'

Those words were drilled into her when she was young. The very first time was at a dance when she was 12 and had asked another girl to dance with her. Despite her cute smile, the girl had been standing all alone. Weiss had simply wanted to keep her company and make her feel better. Shortly after they had reached the dance floor, her father had roughly grabbed her and hauled her off to another room. Screaming at her that she was embarrassing him, and behaving as an abomination, until she fled crying to her room. Since then, it was simply the truth that she had lived with.

Besides, the only thing that black and red-haired girl would ever call 'sweetheart' was that over sized gardening tool she carried around with her.

A sharp sound pulled her from her thoughts. Looking over, she saw that Yang had somehow managed to knock over her, thankfully, empty coffee mug.

"Be careful, you oaf!" She yelled before thinking.

"Sorry, princess. It was an accident." The blonde replied, failing to placate Weiss' wrath.

"I would believe that it wasn't the third time in the last half hour! Could you at least attempt to be less of a nuisance while I'm studying." Weiss continued, apparently more frustrated with her current situation than she previously thought. Though which situation, the ever obstinate paper or her thoughts about Ruby, was causing the tribulation, she didn't know.

"You know what?!" Yang bellowed back. Her hair was starting to glow as her temper built up. "Ruby may think you're some kind of living, breathing goddess, but the rest of us don't have to put up with you."

"W-what?" Ruby thought that about her?

"You heard me!" Yang continued, eyes getting dangerously red. "And if I'm such a nuisance why don't you study somewhere else?"

"Ugh, fine!" She snapped back. Standing quickly she piled her books and computer into her bag and beelined to the exit.

As she threw the door open, it was stopped halfway as it collided with another object. Still annoyed, she squeezed her small frame through the opening. Spotting a glint of red out of the corner of her eye and she realized what had blocked the door.

"You dunce!" She exclaimed angrily without thinking, starting to march down the hallway.

A thud, one so soft she barely heard it, caught her ear. Turning around out of curiosity, she was taken aback by what she saw. Ruby sat slumped on her knees with a platter of cookies scattered across the floor in front of her. While Ruby could eat more cookies than she had ever seen anyone consume before, there was no way they all were for the younger girl. Were they for Weiss and the rest of the team as well?

A choked sob broke her out of her thoughts. Her anger disappeared in a flash, immediately replaced with concern. Weiss rushed to her leader's side, kneeling on the floor next to her. She made sure to keep what she was filtering what she wanted to say, taking a diplomatic approach instead.

"Are you alright?" Weiss inquired. - _I'm so sorry, Ruby!-_ "Were all these cookies for you?"

"N-no. You were all working so hard, I wanted to get you guys a treat as a reward." The younger girl responded.

"Since I ruined these, I can take you to the store and buy you more." She offered. - _Please let me make this up to you!_ -

"No." Came a quick response, followed by a mumble Weiss couldn't quite hear.

"What?" - _I need you to smile!_ \- "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"It's not the same." Ruby explained, eyes cast downwards. "These aren't store bought cookies. I made these for you. With a special ingredient too."

Like always, Ruby was frustratingly sweet, almost exclusively thinking of others before herself. Instead of taking advantage of the rare bit of free time she had earned by finishing early, she had instead spent half her day making something to improve her team's morale.

"Well…" Weiss hesitated, unsure of herself and what she was about to offer. Her next sentence was in earnest "How about I help you bake more?"

Ruby's smile as she instantly perked up made her heart stutter.

"R-really?" The girl fidgeted and played with the hem of her skirt. "You want to bake cookies with me?"

"Of course, you dolt." Weiss replied softly, smiling back. _-Anything, as long as it's with you.-_ "I did ruin your last batch after all."

Realizing that she may have been staring into those silver eyes for a little too long, Weiss stood up, grabbed Ruby's hand, and started dragging her down the hallway to the dorm kitchen. She realized her mistake immediately as she heard a small 'eep!' and quickly released the younger girl's hand.

"Hurry up, Dolt!"

* * *

Ruby sat amongst the littered refuse of her hard work stunned by what she just heard. Weiss wanted to spend time with her? And baking cookies no less. She knew she should squash her enthusiasm. Weiss was probably just trying to live up to the promise she made a year and a half ago to be the 'best teammate ever'. Still, a little optimism is good for you, right?

Heart racing, she fought back the blush creeping up onto her cheeks.

"R-really?" She forced her head down, unable to subdue her rapidly coloring cheeks. Using the hem of her skirt as a usable distraction, she intentionally played with it. "You want to bake cookies with me?"

"Of course, you dolt." Despite the soft reply, the words rang loudly through Ruby's brain. 'You dolt', the insult turned nickname. Though now Ruby was sure they were used with affection now. "I did ruin your last batch after all"

Gazing back into those icy orbs and perfect smile, she felt herself get lost. So when Weiss suddenly stood up and started pulling her down the hallway by her hand, she could only let out a very surprised 'eep!'. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the wrong response and the snow-haired girl quickly relinquished her grasp.

"Hurry up, Dolt!" she exclaimed over her shoulder, continuing down the hallway.

Feeling warm over another use of Weiss' apparent pet name for her, she dashed forward, grabbed the older girl's hand, and pulled her down the hall.

"Let's go bake some cookies!"

The cookie project was going better than Ruby hoped it ever could. She had been a little over ambitious when she first bought supplies, and there would be plenty for at least a few more days of baking. Because of the excess supplies, she was able to teach Weiss how to make cookies without worrying about messups. Still, her partner was a quick learner.

With the last batch finally placed in the oven, all that remained was to clean up. Trying to think of a way to break the silence, Ruby did what usually makes situations better, apologize.

"Sorry for dragging you away from your essay, I know you wanted to get it done." She lowered her head.

"Don't worry about it, Ruby." The snow-haired girl smiled at her. "If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't."

She paused.

"Hey, you never actually mentioned what the secret ingredient was." She glanced around curiously. "I've never baked cookies before, but none of these seem like they are anything you should keep hushed up."

Ruby hesitated, realizing what her mother always told her might mean something different for Weiss. Would the heiress discover the nature of Ruby's feelings for her? Would Weiss rebuke her?

"I'm waiting." Weiss said sharply.

"Heh, heh, well…" Ruby chuckled, blushed, and rubbed the back of her head simultaneously. "When I was young, and my mom would bake Yang and I cookies, she would always tell us they were the best cookies because they were made with… love"

"Love? That's it?! Ruby, that's what parents tell their children to make them feel good. It doesn't actually affect the taste of the cookies at all!" Weiss scolded, the volume of her voice had definitely increased. Simply discounting the idea was not an outcome the younger girl had thought of.

"But… yeah Weiss, you're right." Ruby turned away. "Guess I was just being a dolt like usual."

She couldn't see her partner, but she thought she heard her partner mumble something that made her heart skip a beat. There was no way she could have heard it correctly. It sounded a lot like Weiss had whispered, 'But you're my dolt'.

Acting before she could convince herself otherwise, she leaned forward towards Weiss. Encouraged that the white-haired girl didn't try withdrawing, she tried to close the last few inches. Ruby shut her eyes just in time to overextend herself. She toppled over from leaning too far forward, barely missing Weiss and dragging the bag of flour off the counter and onto the ground with her.

* * *

Weiss had never baked cookies before, but she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember ever cooking anything for herself, everything had alway been prepared by her family's servants at home or the cafeteria here at Beacon. Still, it was not a difficult process. You added precise amounts of ingredients in a specific order, then baked them at an exact temperature for the specified amount of time, and voila, cookies. No doubt there was a myriad of different recipes, but Ruby only wanted her mother's chocolate chip cookies, and Weiss had no hesitation about perfecting it.

There was only one problem, and that was Ruby herself. The girl flew around the kitchen adding ingredients without measure and eating copious amounts of cookie dough before they could even be put in the oven. No matter how counter to the actual process the younger girl's antics were, Weiss had no heart to turn down the laughter and squeals of delight coming from her. Her leader looked too happy buzzing around, and she drank the sight in utterly entranced.

No! Weiss shook her head. She had to maintain focus. She couldn't be distracted by the bumbling dunce that she would never call her own. Focusing on the task at hand again, she realized she was down to the one last batch.

Forming the last few bits of cookie dough into identically shaped ball on the tray. She realized Ruby had never told her what the secret ingredient was. Glancing around, she couldn't identify anything that could possibly be against common knowledge. Flour, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, butter, salt and chocolate chips, nothing special at all.

Before she could ask Ruby, the young girl intruded on the silence.

"Sorry for dragging you away from your essay." She bowed her head. "I know you wanted to get it done."

Weiss was confused for a second. _-What essay?-_... Oh!- Her frustration returned in a snap when she thought back to the unfinished paper inside her book bag.

"Don't worry about it, Ruby." She forced her frustration down, wanting to return to her enjoyment of her time spent with the girl. Trying to coax a smile out of her partner with one of her own, Weiss continued. "If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't."

She paused for a second. Now was the best opportunity to ask Ruby about her secret ingredient.

"Hey, you never actually mentioned what the secret ingredient was. I've never baked cookies before, but none of these seem like they are anything you should keep hushed up."

Ruby almost looked embarrassed, blushing and rubbing the back of her head.

"Heh, heh, well… When I was young, and my mom would bake Yang and I cookies, she would always tell us they were the best cookies because they were made with… love"

Weiss was stunned. _-Did Ruby just say she had made me love cookies?!-_ She really hoped she actually liked cookies.

Like before she had to carefully monitor her thoughts and filter what she said. So instead of melting at Ruby's words, she scolded her for the childish concept.

"Love? That's it?! Ruby, that's what parents tell their children to make them feel good. It doesn't actually affect the taste of the cookies at all!" She instantly regretted her words. She wished she could say what she truly wanted to.

Ruby turned her head away, looking ashamed. "But… yeah Weiss, you're right. Guess I was just being a dolt like usual."

"But you're my dolt." Weiss whispered to herself. _-Did I just say that out loud?!-_ It had slipped out in her haste to comfort the girl. Hopefully Ruby didn't hear it.

Weiss froze. Ruby had definitely heard and had started leaning towards her with a nervous look on her face. Did Ruby really feel the same about her? What was she supposed to do? Suppose something did come out of this, her father would never accept it. She would be pulled from Beacon and not be allowed to be a Huntress or ever see Ruby again. Even if they could keep it secret from her father, what would happen if they broke up? They would still be roommates, teammates, and partners.

Still, she did promise Ruby she would be the 'best teammate ever'. What better way to be to fulfill her promise than to get as close as possible to the younger girl?

Before she could make up her mind Ruby disappeared from view. Looking down, she saw the absolutely embarrassed visage of a flour covered girl staring in horror back up at her. Then Ruby was gone in a burst of rose petals.

Weiss sighed, disappointed in her indecision. Now she had another choice to make. Did she chase after her partner and lose the girl's second attempt at cookies today, or stay to finish the job and possibly risk her very life. Giving Ruby some space then bringing her fresh cookies would definitely be the best option. Though she would have to survive the consequences of waiting.

"WEISS SCHNEE!" Weiss winced as she heard an angry voice echo down the hallway. "You're a dead woman!"

Only a few moments late the door to the dorm kitchen slammed open unleashing an inferno into the room. Yang stormed in hair aflame and eyes flashing red. She grabbed Weiss by the collar of her jacket and pushed her into the wall.

"What the hell did you do to my sister?!" Yang yelled into the heiress' face, only inches away.

"I didn't do anything!" Weiss yelled back with a hint of sadness. "That's what happened. I should've done something and I didn't."

Yang's irises slowly faded to purple as the anger changed to confusion.

"If you didn't do anything, why is my sister huddling under the bed, crying, and covered in flour?!"

"Let me go, you oaf, and I'll tell you."

For a moment Weiss thought the brawler wouldn't release her. Yang was normally easy-going, but had a legendary temper when provoked. And nothing provoked her more than someone messing with her little sister. It wasn't until the ding of the oven broke the last bit of haze over blonde's concentration that Weiss was finally released.

Allowing Weiss to walk past her to the oven, Yang jumped to sit on the counter.

"I'll ask you one more time, Ice Queen. What happened to my sister?"

Weiss glared at the offending blond who merely crossed her arms. She sighed and placed the cookies on a cooling tray.

"Right after our argument I ran into Ruby right outside our dorm and caused her to drop her cookies, so I offered to help her bake more." The heiress explained.

"So, that explains the cookies everywhere. But she loves baking cookies, why would she leave before you two were done? And why the hell is she covered in flour?" The brawler demanded.

"Well…." Weiss hesitated.

"Spit it out!"

"You have to promise you will not say anything to Ruby, Blake, or anyone else. And no teasing."

"What? Why?"

"Either promise, or I will not tell."

"Oh, alright." The blonde relented.

"Ruby and I discovered we both had feelings for each other. It was not the most.." Weiss searched for the most appropriate word. "...graceful of conversations."

"You mean she Ruby'd it up."

"You can say it that way. She fell and dragged a bag of flour down with her." She peered curiously at the blonde. "You do not seem too surprised by this?"

"Promise you won't say anything either?" Yang inquired, to which Weiss responded with a single nod. "Rubes confided in me awhile ago, so it was only a matter of time. And leave it to her to mess up a romantic moment." Yang winked at Weiss. "Sorry for the violence earlier. I saw my baby sis in tears and assumed the worst."

"Don't worry about it, Yang. I would have done the same thing in your position."

"So, what's your next step?"

"Taking these cookies to your sister."

"And then?"

"Then…. we will see. Do not expect anything"

At Yang's behest Weiss gathered up the cookies and trudged back to the dorm room, letting the brawler clean up the mess that remained. Arriving at the door she deftly solved the problem that had caused Ruby's downfall; she carefully set the cookies down and quietly opened the door. With cookies in hand again she surveyed the room, noticing Blake laying stomach down on the ground softly talking to the area under the heiress' bed.

Realizing that Ruby must be under the bed she cleared her throat to get Blake's attention. When the onyx-haired girl looked her way she beckoned with her finger. Getting up from her prone position and closed with Weiss with a skeptical look on her face.

"Congratulations, you survived Yang's fury." The faunus smirked and whispered to the heiress once they were close enough. "What happened to Ruby?"

"I did, but it was close." Weiss paused and scowled. She needed alone time with Ruby, but would Blake be as understanding as Yang?

"Blake, can you give Ruby and I a moment? I think Yang could use your help in the kitchen."

"OK. Just let us know if you or Ruby need anything." With that Blake patted her teammate on the shoulder before leaving the room, silently closing the door behind her.

Weiss walked over to the desk she shared with Ruby and set the cookies down softly, careful not to spill even a single crumb. With the cookies secure she took Blake's vacated position. Peering under the bed, she could see the slightly trembling outline of the young girl's body facing away from her.

Deciding she needed to be upfront and honest, she called out to her partner with a concern ladened voice. "Hey, Ruby."

"A-are you mad at me?" Came a hesitant reply.

"Why would I be mad at you, D-... Ruby?" Weiss bit back her signature insult. It wouldn't help this situation.

"Because I tried t-to…" She stuttered out.

"Don't worry about it." Weiss reached out to the girl under the bed. "Can you please come out?"

Ruby finally turned to face her. "Promise not to yell at me?"

"Yes, dolt. I promise." She grimaced internally at accidentally using the affectionate insult. Judging by the girl's reaction, Ruby seemed to either not hear it or not mind. The black and red haired girl finally reached out and grabbed Weiss' hand, allowing her to help Ruby crawl out from her hiding spot.

Once Ruby was out from under the bed, the heiress finally got a good look at her face; pale white from the flour except for the streaks carved by her tears and attempts at wiping her eyes. Helping the young girl sit on the bed, Weiss gently curled the fingers of one hand under Ruby's chin and used the sleeve of her jacket to gently wipe the tears and residual flour off her face.

Smiling, she spoke softly, voice barely louder than a whisper. "All better now"

Ruby sniffed and briefly stared at her with watery eyes before latching onto Weiss with a hug.

"I'm s-sorry! I shouldn't have tried to do that" The cloaked girl cried into her shoulder.

"You're fine." Weiss hugged her back but struggled with what to do next. She didn't really have any experience comforting others. Hugging back seemed obvious, but what else could she do? They sat holding each other for quite some time in silence, Ruby having calmed down after only a few minutes. It wasn't until Weiss looked up that she realized the answer had been sitting on the desk the whole time. Though when she tried to stand, she found she couldn't break free of Ruby's grasp.

"Give me a second." She smiled at Ruby's concerned eyes. "Literally, one second."

Finally relinquishing herself from her partner's clutches, she quickly walked over to the desk to grab a handful of cookies and and returned to her previous spot. She had no idea what to expect, she had never actually had a cookie before. Biting it she decided it wasn't that bad. Soft and buttery, with just enough chocolate for flavor without overloading her taste buds with sugar.

"D-do you like them?" Ruby asked, silver eyes pleading.

"Yes." Weiss smiled, and received one of her partner's brilliant grins in return. "I think your mom was right."

"I thought you said that was childish?" Ruby stared at her.

"I was wrong." Weiss stared back into the eyes of the girl that held her heart. "The best cookies ARE made with love."

Those silver eyes told her that maybe things would work out after all.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! This will be the first in a series of one-shots existing in the same mini-AU. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to MrIlax for editing/beta help. Check out his story 'Fall Maiden - Brightest Light'.**

 **Edit: Thanks reviewers for pointing out some amateur mistakes for me! I think I fixed everything.**


	2. Dreaming Of A Weiss Christmas

A mighty yawn tore through the room as a girl in a beowolf sleeping mask woke to face the day. Trying to break free of the warm embrace of her bed, Ruby sat up and stretched. She glanced at the clock, already 6:30, time to get a move on. Unlike the rest of her teammates, who enjoyed sleeping in on the weekends and holidays, Ruby was always up early, eager to get her next adventure going as soon as possible. Especially since today was Christmas Day, it was even more important to get up early.

A large grumble let her know that it was time to eat, lest her stomach revolt against her. Slipping out of her bed, leaving it in its typical mess, she hurried down to the kitchen of the second year dormitories. If she was quick enough, she would be able to make breakfast for her teammates and be back in the dorm before they even woke up. Taking a quick surview of the supplies she had, she decided waffles would be the best option.

Humming to herself as she cooked, she didn't notice the second figure slip into the room.

"Good morning, Ruby." The girl jumped and yelped as a quiet voice greeted her. Quickly turning around, her face bright red in shame, she realized who the intruder was.

"Good morning to you too, Ren!" She chirped, her enthusiasm overriding her previous fright. "Whatcha doing up so early?"

"Same as you. Making breakfast." The calm boy replied in monotone. "Are those… waffles?"

"You betcha! Pancakes are for chumps." Ruby grinned deviously at the friendly disagreement that always popped up whenever Ruby and Ren made breakfast at the same time. Ren almost exclusively made pancakes for his team, much to Nora's delight, while Ruby preferred the more exquisite waffle. "Though the chocolate chips can make a mess out of the iron."

Ren sighed in response. "If you're feeling generous, can you invite Jaune to eat with you guys? I heard him muttering about waffles in his sleep the other day."

The pajama clad girl cocked her head to the side of confusion, reminding Ren of a inquisitive puppy. "Yeah, sure! But shouldn't he eat with you guys, it is Christmas after all?"  
"Nora makes such a mess, we eat in the kitchen. Im sure Jaune would love to avoid taking an extra shower today." Came the weary explanation.

"She does get excited..." Ruby commented understandingly.

"Says the pot to the kettle." Muttered Ren under his breath.

"What?"

"Don't forget the syrup"

"Thanks, Ren!" The young leader chirped, gathering up plates, cutlery, and syrup, before placing them on the giant platter with the waffles and heading out the door.

* * *

Reaching Team RWBY's dorm room, she stood perplexed by her situation for the second time in as many weeks. Though this time she would learn from her mistakes! She wouldn't let the door slam into her and make her spill her waffles everywhere. Though to be fair, something wonderful had come of that. The memory of the cookie incidence almost two weeks ago was still fresh in her mind, but she didn't want a repeat with her waffles.

Before she could enact her entry plan, JNPR's swung open revealing a sleepy, pajama clad trio of Pyrrha, Jaune, and Nora.

"Morning, Ruby" Jaune mumbled. "Is Ren in the kitchen? Are those waffles?!" The sleepiness from his voice instantly disappeared when he realized what exactly it was that Ruby was holding.

"Yup and yup! Want to eat with us, Jaune? Pancakes have nothing on the deliciousness of waffles."

"Uhhhh." Jaune glanced rapidly between the waffles and his girlfriend. Ruby could see the difficulty of the decision clearly on his face.

"They've got chocolate chips" She sang out. "All you have to do is open the door for me and you get all the waffles you can eat.

"Sorry, Pyrrha!" Jaune snatched Ruby's scroll, unlocking the door and darting inside before the fiery haired girl could react.

"Please don't kill me." Ruby squeaked as she withered under Pyrrha's glare, before backing into her dorm. "Close it!" She shouted to Jaune.

With the door finally closed she finally felt safe. It wasn't like she was really in any danger. Pyrrha and her got along splendidly, and the amazon knew that Jaune had eyes for only her. The bigger danger was the constant waffle vs pancake war between the two team. Nora and Pyrrha were always 'disappointed' in Jaune when he indulged in what they saw as a betrayal.

"Wuz goin on?" A sleepy mumble came from Yang as the two leader's antics woke her from her slumber.

"I made waffles!"

When no response came, Ruby put the platter down on Blake's desk before taking a flying leap onto the bottom bunk where the faunus and her sister huddled together, trying to avoid waking up.

"Oof!" Both girls let out small gasps as the team leader landed firmly on top of them.  
"It's Christmasssssssss!" The shorter girl sang out to the slumbering girls. "Get uuuuup!"

"It's too early, Ruby." Blake tried to push the interloper away to no avail.

"Don't bother, Blakey. Nothing gets between Rubes and Christmas." The blonde grumbled as she started to get out of bed. "It's just easier to concede defeat now, and get revenge later."

Once her victory was assured, Ruby rolled off the bed. One more teammate to wake up.

"Weissy! Time to get up!" Ruby's exuberance died as she rounded the christmas tree set up between the desks and saw the perfectly made bed. "Oh, right."

Sadness started to well up inside the young leader. Her teammate had left for home almost the moment she was done with finals, saying she had family business to take care of. For Ruby, the last week had been one of the longest of her life. Actually, the last two weeks had been the longest of her life.

Her and Weiss' cookie bonding moment had happened right before finals, and the heiress' obsession with studying had prevented them from finishing what they had started that night. Obviously, they both had feelings beyond those of just friends, but they had not been able to explore the implications. Now, Ruby was scared that Weiss would feel differently when she finally returned from Atlas.

"Don't worry, Rubes." Yang hugged her little sister. "Your snow angel will be back tomorrow."

"She's not my snow angel." Ruby pouted out.

"Not yet! Now let's get to these waffles. Dibs on Weiss'"

While the sisters started helping themselves to waffles, Blake sidled up to Jaune. "You don't seem too surprised by any of Ruby's antics.

He chuckled for awhile before answering. "Imagine 7 of her. Christmas with that many little sisters gets a little enthusiastic."

Most of the next half hour was spent in silence as the four of them enjoyed the fruits of Ruby's labor. Finally came a soft knock on the door. In flash of rose petals Ruby was at the door pulling it open before anyone had a chance to reply. The dark haired girl stepped aside to admit a freshly changed Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren into the room.

"Heh, look like I made the smart decision." Jaune commented noticing their change in pajamas. "Another syrup explosion?"

"Don't want to talk about it." Pyrrha mumbled out.

"It was so cool!" Exclaimed Nora.

"Yes." Replied Ren in monotone.

"Whelp, everyone's here." Ruby stated matter-of-factly putting on a smile. "Let's get everything organized."

* * *

With the presents finally sorted out everyone sat in a semicircle facing the tree with their partner. Starting with Pyrrha and Jaune leaning against each other and Blake's bed, their presents on their respective sides. Next were Nora and Ren, subtly trying to hold hands despite the energetic girl's claims of not being 'together together'. Between them and Weiss' bed was the overly friendly Yang, who ended up pulling Blake into her lap despite the faunus' protests. Last, leaning against the frame of Weiss' bed, was the only person sitting alone. Ruby.

Looking around at everyone's happy faces, she still couldn't help but feel sad. Weiss wouldn't be back until tomorrow, and until then she was just a seventh wheel. Glancing back at the pile of presents that remained untouched on the heiress' bed, she wondered, for the 427th time if Weiss would like her present.

"You alright, sis?" Yang broke the leader's thoughts with her inquiry. The blonde's voice was infused with enough concern to make Ruby answer honestly.  
"Yeah... It just doesn't feel right without Weiss here." The young girl muttered, head tilting forward so her bangs covered her eyes. "But, it's Christmas! It's a happy day. Let's open some presents!" She popped her head back up with a brilliant smile and shining eyes.

"That's my sis!" Yang grinned back. "Let's get to it!"

A round of agreements came from everyone in the room. But, before anyone could start ripping into the paper, a loud knock came from the door.

"Who's there?" Yang yelled out. The only response she received was another loud knock. "Uh, can you get that, sis? I'm kind of stuck." She looked down at the raven-haired girl in her lap. Contrary to earlier, Blake seemed to have given up her protests and now refused to be detached from the fiery blonde.

"Fine. Make the only single one do it."

Stomping over to the door she opened it curiously, wondering who could possibly be knocking on Christmas morning. Everyone at Beacon she wanted to spend Christmas with was already here. Well, except for-

"W-Weiss?!" Ruby only just managed to sputter the heiress' name out when she realized who was standing in front of her.

Weiss stood on the other side of the threshold in a white and black trenchcoat and boots, with a pure white scarf around her neck.

"Merry Christmas, Ruby." Weiss smiled back, ice blue eyes entrancing the younger girl. Ruby felt she was looking at the most beautiful thing in existence.

Blushing as she noticed the bright red bow that sat perched atop the heiress' snow-white hair, she realized what was going on. Ruby jumped forward in the older girl's arms, tackling her to the ground. As they landed in a tangle of limbs, she burrowed her face into Weiss shoulder, all the while repeating her name, as if she needed to get out a week of saying it at once.

"Weiss, Weiss, Weiss, Weiss…" The red-clad girl kept babbling the heiress' name.

"I missed you too, dolt." The snow-haired girl chuckled at her partner's exuberance. Finally prying the younger girl away from her they smiled at each other again.

"Why are you back so early? I thought you had family business you had to take care of?"

"I finished that last night so I could fly here overnight. I wanted to make sure I was here for Christmas. For you."

Ruby squealed and tried to latch onto the girl again before she was interrupted by a yell from Yang. "Alright, lovebirds. Get your butts in here, Nora wants to open presents!"

Both blushing at her comment and chorus of laughter coming from the room, Ruby stood up quickly then helped Weiss to her feet as well.

"Well, at least she isn't trying to kill me this time." Weiss quipped. Seeing Ruby's perplexed expression she continued "It's a long story. Come on, let's get these presents inside."

Turning around the scythe-wielder finally noticed the veritable mountain of presents piled next to the door. "Woah!"

* * *

It had only taken a few minutes to move all of Weiss' presents for everyone else into the room and their proper piles. In the meantime, Ruby had managed to make the heiress a cup of hot cocoa to match everyone else's. Now, the red and white girls sat in Ruby's original location, shoulder to shoulder, Weiss's pile to her left instead of waiting on her bed.

At Yang's signal, everyone starting tearing into their presents. Rounds of gasps, squeals, and thank yous permeated the air as the various members of RWBY and JNPR found exactly what they had been hoping for. Of course, Weiss' presents to everyone were a little more expensive than the agreed upon amount, but no one took offense to it. The heiress had made it perfectly clear there was no point in having money if she couldn't spoil her friends.

Despite the carefree atmosphere, Ruby and Weiss set aside their gifts for each other. These would be the last that each opened. The girls had barely seen each other since the cookie incident and were determined to make the best of their opportunity.

"You first." Weiss said pointedly to her partner.

Ruby's gaze fell upon the three remaining presents in her pile. "Uh.. In what order do I do this?"

"You dolt. If you had bothered to read the tags they are labeled in the proper order." The heiress retorted.

Ruby smiled back. Weiss' scoldings had reached the point where they were more endearing than intimidating. Examining the present before her, she found the proper order to open them in.

Picking up the first, she noticed how soft and squishy it was. Throwing a curious look towards Weiss, the dark haired girl tore into the paper. As the wrapping fell away in shreds, she found herself nose to nose with the most adorable stuffed wolf she had ever seen.

Ruby was torn as how to react. Before coming to Beacon, she habitually slept with the stuffed animals her mother and Yang bought her. It was a source of comfort for a young girl that had trouble making friends. When she came to Beacon, her sister made her leave the stuffed animals behind. It was time to grow up.

Weiss noticed the young leader's hesitation. "Do you not like it, Ruby? I thought you liked stuffed animals?"

Ruby twisted around to look at Weiss. Despite the heiress' best attempts at hiding it, Ruby could clearly see the hurt on her face.

"I love it, Weiss! It's so cute and fluffy and soft and from you!" When her babblings brought a smile to the snowy girl's face she made her decision. "Yang can deal with it."

"I can deal with what?" Yang butted into the conversation upon hearing her name.

"You can deal with me." Blake grabbed Yang's head, forcing the brawler to face her again.

"Thanks, Blake!" Ruby called over, receiving a wink in response.

Getting back to the task at hand, she placed the wolf in her lap and picked up the present labeled '#2'. It was much larger than the last one and fairly heavy. Giving it a ginger shake elicited a panicked squeak from her partner.

"Don't shake it, dolt!" Weiss growled at her. "Just open it."

Tearing into the next present with a grin on her face, she heard Weiss muttering something about barbarians under her breath. Under the paper was a nondescript cardboard box. Cracking it up revealed numerous smaller boxes, each with their own small detailed labels. She pulled out one of the smaller boxes to read the label.

"EEEEEEEEE!" The younger girl latched onto the heiress and let out a squeal so high pitched everyone in the room ceased their activities to clamp their hands over their ears.

"What the hell, sis?!" Yang yelled out. She had felt the full brunt of Ruby's squeal as she sacrificed her own hearing to help Blake cover her extra sensitive faunus ears.

"Look what Weiss got me!" She held out one of the many boxes for all to see. "A ton of different specialized dust rounds for Crescent Rose!"

"Woah, Weiss." Nora exclaimed in her typical enthusiastic manner. "Trying to get a boop for Christmas?"  
"Nora!" Pyrrha, Ren, Blake, and Yang instantly tried to silence the berserker before she could say anything else. Ruby and Jaune looked at each other, confusion easily seen on their faces while Weiss blushed furiously.

"Focus, Ruby." Ruby felt Weiss try to detach herself from her vice grip. But the dark haired girl wasn't going to let go that easy. The smile on the heiress' face at her reaction to the present made her clutch even harder.

"Open yours next!" The leader commanded.

"What? You have one left. You are supposed to do all three together." Weiss responded in surprise to her leader's command.

"I already opened two. Do yours!" Ruby broke out her secret weapon, the puppy eyes. The effect was immediate, the resolve on Weiss' face melted away immediately.

"So adorable… Not fair" The snowy girl muttered out. "Fine, you win."

Weiss picked up the sloppily wrapped box and inspected it carefully. Hooking a nail under the first piece of tape, she proceeded to unwrap the gift with her normal amount of unerring precision. After a few moments she managed to remove all the wrapping paper without ripping a single part. No easy feat with her partner still hanging off of her.

Once the offending paper had been disposed of, the older girl turned her attention to the box itself. Her partner had secured it with what appeared to be an entire roll of tape.

"Does anyone have a knife I can borrow?" Weiss inquired.

Though it seemed like a silly question to be asking to a group of normally heavily armed teenagers, it did hold some merit. She could use her rapier, but she didn't want to risk damage the contents of the present.

"I do." Jaune replied quickly before shrugging. "Sometimes my sisters go overboard with their wrap jobs" He explained to the group.

After receiving the implement from the blond, the heiress swiftly cut open the packed to reveal a lump of folded white cloth.

"Is this... a blanket?" She asked hesitantly, turning to face the girl that was still clutching her.

"It's a cloak, silly!" Ruby beamed at the snow girl. "Stand up, let me put it on you."

Heaving her partner to her feet, Ruby took the cloak from the girl's hands and swung it around it around her shoulders. Clasping it on the front, the leader took a half step back to examine her handiwork.

"I hope you like it. I made it myself." The younger girl beamed at her partner.

"You made this?" Weiss looked down examining the soft white fabric.

"Yup!"

"Ruby, I…" She flung her arms around the shorter girl. "No one's ever made anything like this for me before."

"I'm glad you like it." The red themed girl blushed. "I thought we could have matching cloaks."

A lack of response piqued her curiosity. Looking up into Weiss' she saw them in a wide stare directed somewhere over her shoulder.

"Ruby, you should look behind you." The white haired girl whispered.

Turning around, Ruby saw something she thought she would never see before. Yang was standing only a couple feet behind her with Blake sitting squarely on her shoulders. Both had huge grins plastered on their faces. In Blake's hands was a rod with that extending over her head. Looking up she realized what it was.

"M-mistletoe?!" The leader squeaked out.

"You betcha', sis." The brawler managed to grin even more. "And you know what that means."

"Yaaaaang." She whined back.

"You know you wanna'. We're just giving you a push!"

Grumbling to herself she turned back to her partner who had quite the determined look on her face. "Are you ok wi… Mmph"

Her words were cut off as Weiss placed her hands on either side of Ruby's faced and pulled her into a kiss, clashing their lips together. Ruby's 'eep' died at her lips, swallowed by Weiss'. She felt the taller girl's hands slide off her face. One slipped behind her head, fingers tangling themselves in her short black and red locks, while the slowly traced down her arm before it secured itself around the small of her back, drawing her closer. In return Ruby wrapped both her arms around Weiss' neck and shoulders.

She quickly found herself lost in Weiss. Everything from the snowy girl's embrace, to her body and lips were warm, soft and comforting. She lost track of time as reality slipped away. It could have been two seconds or two hours. It didn't matter. All that mattered was Weiss.

A loud wolf whistle, courtesy of Yang, pierced the air and brought Weiss' attention back to her surroundings. Realizing that everything had just seen what happened, she tried to hide her face in Ruby's shoulder.

"Come on, guys. Let's give them some privacy." Pyrrha finally spoke up.

Blake dropped off Yang's shoulders and moved out the door with Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Yang, however, showed no indication of leaving.

"Sorry, that means you too." The red haired girl gave the brawler a shove. "Let's see if they are serving brunch yet."

"No funny business while I'm gone, Princess." The blonde stated as she relented to the wishes of the gladiator and followed her partner out into the hallway.

Once the everyone else had vacated the room, Weiss turned her attention back to her partner. The girl's eyes were slightly glazed over and she had the dopiest grin Weiss had ever seen.

"Come on. You have one more present." Weiss grabbed Ruby's hand and tugged on it, pulling the dazed teen towards the bunk.

Sitting down on Weiss' bed together, Weiss gently shook Ruby and handed the shorter girl her last present. Slowly recovering, she smiled down at the present before she tore into the paper revealing a large, clear plastic container full of cookies. Without hesitation, she pulled a cookie out and chomped into it. It was the same recipe she had taught Weiss the first time. And they were fresh.

"When did you have time to bake these?" She inquired.

"This morning." The heiress replied brightly. "Ren let me know when you were out of the kitchen, and Jaune was there to warn me if you ever left the room."

"Why Jaune and not Blake or Yang?"

"No offense to them, but they enjoy sleeping in a little too much."

Ruby giggled in response. Yang was one who would willingly allow the Weiss' plan to fall apart for another 5 minutes of sleep.

Touched by her partner's thoughtfulness she worked up her courage. Leaning forward she pressed her lips softly against Weiss' again, taking delight in the electric trills that ran down her body.

"Speaking of sleeping, I did get up really early this morning." Weiss nudged her partner. "I think we're due for nap."

"W-we?" Stuttered Ruby.

"Yes, dolt. You don't expect to be alone on Christmas do you?"

Together the crawled under the covers and snuggled up together. Happier than she had ever remember being, Ruby was slowly lulled to sleep by Weiss' quiet breathing. Her dreams dominated by cookies and her favorite snow haired girl.

* * *

 **I apologize for posting a Christmas related story so long after Christmas.  
So this went from a one shot to a series of one shots in the same timeline.**

 **I'd like to thank Mr. Ilax for helping break some writer's block.  
**

 **I hope you enjoyed your White Rose, more will be coming!**


	3. Roses Are Red

"You know you're just setting her up for failure, right?" Weiss heard Blake's voice as she and Yang approached their black and red teammates.

"Whom is Ruby setting up for failure?" The heiress inquired as she sat down.

They were currently in the mostly empty cafeteria. Blake and Ruby had arrived at the normal time, but Yang and Weiss were asked by Professor Goodwitch to demonstrate the pros and cons of their different fighting styles, finesse and force, to a class of first years.

"Weiss!" Ruby practically yelled with a huge grin on her face.

"She made a wager with a friend about another friend." The faunus ears twitched as she slide her extra tray of food to Yang.

"With whom, about whom?" Weiss looked expectantly towards her cloaked leader. Ruby looked down letting her bangs cover her eyes and slid a tray of food to Weiss.

"Awww, is someone getting jealous their girlfriend has other friends?" Yang butted in, pulling Weiss into a crushing side hug. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure Ruby will tell you when the time is right."

"Ack! Get off me, you brute." The smaller girl struggled against the brawler's unrelenting grip. "Just because I'm dating your sister doesn't mean you get to manhandle me."

"Fine." Yang huffed and turned to her food. Blake quickly engaged her in conversation between bites.

"What's going on, Ruby?" The heiress focused her attention to her partner.

Ruby perked up with Weiss' attention. "Oooohhhh, nothing." She smiled. "Say, what are you doing tomorrow? Let's go to Vale!"

The snowy girl frowned. "Tomorrow's a Saturday, you know we need to study."

"Weiss!" Ruby whined. "We're always studying, and we have only been on a couple dates since Christmas."

That much was true. Between their class loads, Ruby's love of volunteering for local grimm clearing missions, and her own insistence on studying every free moment, they have only had a few free days since they started dating. Seeing the beginnings of the dreaded puppy dog eyes, she averted her gaze.

"It's no use, Weiss." Blake spoke calmly. "She'll get you eventually."

"Plus, Blakey and I are commandeering the room tomorrow." Yang winked at her partner and threw the heiress a sly grin.

"What, why?" The young leader looked confused.

"Ugh, Yang. I don't need that image in my head." Weiss shook her head trying to forget the brawler's words before anything else could intrude into her thoughts.

"Oh…" The expression on Ruby's face fell into horror as she figured out her sister's implication. "Gross gross gross gross gross."

"Yang." Blake spoke softly, a menacing tone creeping into her voice.

"I promise, it's strictly for normal, non little sister scarring private time." The brawler relented. "You guys could be there, but like the two of you, we don't get too much alone time either."

Ruby still looked suspicious. Glaring across the table, her stare was intense enough to cause Yang squirm in her seat.

"Help me, Blake!"

"No. This is your fault."

Weiss sighed before smiling at her girlfriend. "How's this. If we study tonight, we can go out tomorrow."

"Yes!" The scythe wielder exclaimed. Jumping out of her seat, she grabbed Weiss' hand and pulled her out of the cafeteria, leaving a trail of rose petals in their wake.

"So, Operation Ice Heart is a go?" Yang inquired after making sure the red and white duo were out of earshot.

"Yes. Weiss has no idea that tomorrow is Valentine's day." Blake smiled. "I'll make sure she's dressed the part."

Yang grinned back. "Our little Ice Queen is going to have a fun day tomorrow."

* * *

"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby shouted through the bathroom door.

She had been waiting for this day as long as she could remember. She had never dated, or even had anyone interested in her before. Now she had a chance to actually celebrate, she had pulled out all the stops.

While waiting for her girlfriend to come out of the bathroom, Ruby carefully inspected herself in the full length mirror that Yang had set up for her, balancing on her red heels as she did so. The dress she was wearing was not something she would have picked out for herself. Upon hearing her plans, the elder sister had dragged her all over town to various different stores to find appropriate clothing.

The dress she had on wasn't anything too elaborate. It was quite fitting for her simplistic style, yet fancy enough for the date she had planned out. The bottom half of her dress was a deep red and flared out, the skirt ending just above her knees. From her hips up the dress clung snugly to her torso, accentuating her meager curves. Just below her bust line the dress switched from the red to a pure white. The dress ended with a halter strap, leaving her her muscular shoulders and back bare.

The sound of the doorknob turning caused Ruby to face the bathroom door. Weiss stepped out and ice met silver. The expression that Weiss held on her face was new to the young huntress-in-training. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the largest producer of dust, was struck speechless.

Looking down from Weiss' expression, a blush crept up on her face. Weiss was dressed equally nicely in an ice blue dress that Blake had helped the heiress pick out. The form fitting top covered her shoulders and showed off her narrow waist. Accented with a silver belt, the flowing skirt fell down to midcalf. However, what stuck out the most was the lack of heels. Instead the snowy girl was wearing silver flats that showed off the ever increasing height difference between the two girls.

Ruby's blushed deepened thinking about just how much of a difference there was now. Weiss had hit another growth spurt in the last 6 months and was now rapidly approaching Winter's height and body proportions. Even now, if Ruby wasn't wearing her heels, the top of Ruby's head would barely reach the tip of the taller girl's nose.

Finally recovering from her shock of seeing Ruby so nicely dress, she inquired to her younger teammate. "This is just a date. Why are we dressed up so nice?"

She instantly regretted her choice of words as a look of disappointed crept across Ruby's face.

"We just don't get many opportunities to go out, so I wanted us to be fancy." The leader kicked at the ground the best she could without falling over in her ladystilts.

Unable to deal with her girlfriend's sadness, she walked across the room and pulled her into a hug. "You look beautiful, Ruby. Come on, let's get to what you've planned."

Bouncing back quickly, the red clad girl flashed a brilliant smile. "Let's go!" She grabbed Weiss' hand and pulled her out of the room in a flurry of rose petals.

* * *

Now seated in a café, the two girls looked through their menus. Weiss giggled as Ruby tried to puzzle through the pronunciation of the various old language words that comprised the menu. The heiress managed to contain her mirth when the waitress stopped by their table to take their orders, but continued to giggle as Ruby kept reading new items off the menu.

Luckily for the young couple, their meals were served quickly. Ruby looked down hungrily at her food, her stomach grumbling eagerly.

"Mmm. This crepe looks so delicious. Do you want a bite, Weiss?"

"That's wrong." The white haired joked in a light tone. "It's pronounced craep, not creep."

The dark haired girl facepalmed. Weiss was playing into her strategy a little too well.

"Weiss, have you noticed that everything that has happened between us has followed a very distinct pattern?" She commented slyly.

"Oh? What's that?" The heiress responded quickly, her face in a practiced neutral expression.

"Everything has been me screwing up, and you lecturing me about it. Think back to all the significant events. Me blowing you up in the courtyard, you saving me from the deathstalker," Despite the serious tone, the red clad girl had a grin on her face. "Even the events that lead us getting together started with me screwing up and you lecturing me before helping me make cookies."

"What? That was obviously my fault. I shouldn't have stormed out of the door."

Ruby giggled. "It's my fault the door opens that way."

The only response the snowy girl could give was a confused stare. "I don't… Oh? Oh!" Ruby could see the light bulb flick on in her girlfriend's head.

"Doors are supposed to open into rooms, not into hallways. You should never have been able to hit me with it."

"Why has nobody noticed this? Why hasn't it been fixed? How does that even work?"

"Yang and I came back a little early from break. Before you and Blake arrived we may have been goofing off and accidentally removed the door and frame from the wall…" Ruby trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting a lecture about roughhousing in the room. When none came she peeked one eye open, only seeing an astonished look on Weiss' face. Feeling safe, she proceeded. "The maintenance people were in a rush and installed the frame the wrong way around. But by the time they realized their mistake, they didn't have enough time to fix it. They told me to schedule another time, and I may... have... forgotten." She ended sheepishly.

Weiss finally responded by pinching the bridge of her nose and slowly sighing. "Were you ever planning on getting it fixed, dolt?"

"There it is again." Ruby grinned across the table. "I think we need to switch roles. My turn to lecture you."

"What could you possibly lecture me about?" Weiss almost looked shocked.

"You've failed as a girlfriend."

"What?!"

Ruby smirked at the girl across from her, drawing Weiss' ire. "You don't even know what today is, do you?"

Weiss racked her brain as her anger faded to curiosity. What could possibly be so special about this day?

"It's February 14th. Is there something special about it?"

"Look around, Weiss. Notice anything odd or interesting?"

"There does seem to be a lot couples around…" Weiss commented as she glanced around. "Is this cafe holding some sort of special?"

The white haired girl glared as Ruby stifled her laugh, clasping her hands over her mouth; eyes full of mirth.

"What's so fu…" Weiss paused as Ruby peeled her hands from her mouth for just long enough to slide her scroll across the table. Picking up the scroll, she read the text on the screen. "Valentine's day?"

Ruby giggled in response. "Yes, Valentine's day. The day of love!"

Weiss stared at her girlfriend before once again sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose between her pointer finger and thumb. "You can't be serious."

Ruby nodded back in response. After a thoughtful look, Ruby stood up and dropped a handful on lien on the counter before grabbing Weiss' arm and dragging her out of the cafe.

"Come on! There is something I want to show you!"

Despite the height difference, Weiss was completely at the mercy of her munchkin of a girlfriend. The shorter girl dragged the heiress across the road and down the sidewalk.

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed breathlessly. "Slow down! I can walk on my own."

"Sorry, Weiss." Ruby pouted back at her girlfriend. "I'm just excited."

As Ruby continued to pull down Weiss down the street, the white haired girl wondered where on earth the shorter girl was pulling her to. As they arrived at a park her question was answered.

"A play in the park?"

"Yup!" Ruby replied with a grin. "It's one of your favorites too!"

Ruby pulled Weiss down to the front row, a picnic basket and blanket awaiting them.

"You really planned all of this for me?" Weiss asked incredulously. "How did you even know?"

"You are the most important thing to me. How could I possibly forget anything you ever told me?"

Weiss blushed in response. "I guess no one has ever done something like this for me."

"What? But you're the coolest!" Ruby sat Weiss down on the blanket, before opening up the picnic basket.

"Please tell me you have more than just cookies in there."

"Uhhhh….." Ruby paused. "But they're all homemade! With my secret recipe too!"

"Yes, dearest." Weiss cuddled into Ruby's side. "They're made with love."

* * *

 **Woo, finally another cookie! Thanks a ton for Mr Ilax breaking my writer's block. Turns out my writing strategy is the outline/first 95% in one day, then agonizing over the last 5% over the next month or so. It didn't help that Blind Date got lodged firmly in my head and I had to write that so it didn't interfere with my WhiteRose. :P**

 **As always, let me know what you think!**


	4. Woses Are White (Weiss' Choice Part 1)

"How about," Weiss mused into the mostly empty room while reading from her scroll. "National Kissing Day?"

Blake sighed in response. "No."

Weiss didn't have to even look over to the only other occupant of the room to know what her faunus teammate was doing. She was probably curled up on her bed, deep in the middle of her next book. A quick glance confirmed her suspicions. Blake sat nestled against the head of the bed reading her poorly disguised 'Ninjas of Love'.

The two had just finished most of their finals; the academic testing and team practicals. Only Weiss, and the currently not present Yang, had completed the solo practicals. Ruby and Blake had yet to take theirs.

At the end of each school year Beacon held solo examinations, sending the students out on excursions into the wilderness. While they did not explicitly forbid students from working together, should they run into each other during the examinations, partners were tested at different times. This forced students to work with others besides the one they constantly trained with.

Weiss herself had just returned yesterday from a 3 day mission in the Forever Falls. Still grouchy from the lack of sleep, Blake's lack of help in her current task was driving her over the edge.

"But that would be a perfect response! And it's in a few weeks, so I have time to plan something."

She heard Blake sigh again and set her book down.

"You're going about this the wrong way."

"Is that what your 'book' says?" Weiss attempted to deadpan with air quotes.

"N-no." The faunus blushed slightly and quickly hid the offending book under her pillow. "I'm telling you are going about this the wrong way."

"But, I didn't know about Valentine's day!" Weiss whined. Ruby had bested her once, it wasn't going to happen again. "I need to find one she doesn't know."

"You're missing the obvious."

"What's that?"

Both paused before Blake had a chance to answer as a series of shouts and laughter erupted outside the door to the dormroom. While Blake looked on with mild curiosity, Weiss fixed the door with a serious stare. Whomever was making that ruckus was now under threat of being turned into an ice cube by the grouchy heiress.

As the door opened, properly swinging inwards instead of out, the other two members of team RWBY tumbled into the room wrestling with each other.

"Gotcha!" Exclaimed the smaller girl of the two as she latched onto the taller and covered Yang's eyes with her hands.

"Oh no, not tiny hands!" Yang feigned panic. "My one weakness!"

"Hey, I'm not that small!" Ruby hesitated for a split second which was all Yang needed to turn the tables on her sister. Reaching behind her the blonde dug her fingers into Ruby's sides, causing the smaller girl to squeal with laughter and fall to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Owww." Came a small groan barely audible over Yang's raucous laughter.

With both sisters temporarily incapacitated, Weiss sensed her opportunity and stepped in.

"Ruby Rose. Just the person I was looking for. Care to explain why there were crumbs in bed when we woke up this morning" The heiress fixed her girlfriend with a witheringly stern glare.

"Uh…" Ruby, to her credit, sat perfectly still. Dating Weiss gave her plenty of practice at grace under fire. Though it didn't help her mumbling.

"You brought cookies to bed didn't you?"

Ruby nodded quietly, eyes slowly widening in fear.

"And what did I tell you about that?" Weiss' volume crept upwards. "It's disgusting."

Holding her hands in defense, Ruby replied nervously. "I just think it's silly that I have to choose between cuddles and cookies, so I decided to have both last night."

"You dolt!"

"I-I think I left my book in the library." The cloaked girl went from her position on the floor to disappearing out the door in a burst of rose petals, leaving her three teammates stupefied in the flurry of her semblance.

After an awkward eternity Yang finally broke the silence. "What the hell was that, Weiss?!"

"I-I don't know." The heiress seemed to simmer down immediately, her anger disappearing and being replaced with a look of distress at Ruby's disappearance. "She's been really flighty recently."

Blake let out a rather impressive sigh, causing the other two to whip around to face her.

"Weiss, you are STILL missing the obvious."

"Would you quit saying that!"

"Blake's right though." The brawler butted in. "You ARE missing the obvious."

Blake put her hand on Weiss' shoulder hoping to keep the fencer calm. "We think you see Ruby as two separate people. On one hand, you see her as this perfect girlfriend that always does the right thing. On the other, you still see her as the girl that almost blew you off the cliff with a sneeze."

Yang picked up after her girlfriend before Weiss had a chance to interject. "You've been getting a little too competitive with your romanticized version of her and blame all her faults on the child version. They are the same person. She does these great things for you, like set up the perfect Valentine's date for you, then turns around and does ridiculous things like eating cookies in bed.

"She's the same as you. This is her first real relationship too. She comes to us for advice more than you do. And you can't forget that she is two years younger than you."

"I…" Finally, being allowed to speak, Weiss was at a loss for words. Was she really treating Ruby with such a harsh dichotomy? First, she needed to find Ruby and apologize to her. Then she still needed to figure out how to repay the younger girl for their Valentine's date.

"I still need an idea date. And don't tell me I'm missing the obvious again." She ended her sentence with a glare and finger jab towards her faunus teammate before making her way over to her bed to reclaim the boots she kicked off hours ago.

"Well, you are." Blake smirked back. "Did you ever think of doing something for her birthday?"

"Her birthday?" What little color that existed in the fencer's pale face drained out as her eyes widened in fright. "I uh… I forgot!"

Yang facepalmed. "You never knew when her birthday was, did you?"

Weiss wracked her brain. She should know when Ruby's birthday was, so why couldn't she think of when it was.

"Stop torturing Weiss, Yang." Blake scowled at her partner. "You know there is no way she would actually know."

"I… wait, what?"

"Yeah, I should have known waiting for Ruby to tell you wouldn't have worked. My sis never celebrates her birthday, or at least hasn't in the last 11 years."

"That would explain why we didn't do anything last year. But how come she never told me when it was? Why doesn't she celebrate it?"

"Because she knew you would want to do something for her. And..." Yang looked hesitantly at Blake.

"Wait, Blake knows too?! Why am I the last to know? I'm her girlfriend!"

Yang sighed. "I was hoping that Rubes would tell you at some point, but I see she still isn't interested in talking about it." Yang paused and smiled over to Blake as the faunus grabbed her hand. "When we were little, Ruby had just turned 6, we found out that her mother, our mother, went missing on a hunt. We later found out she was classified as killed in action. It was on Ruby's birthday that we found out she went missing. It utterly crushed her. Summer was a superhero to Ruby; a real life fairy tale to aspire to. She never celebrated her birthday again after that."

"I never knew." Weiss sat on her bed, trying to comprehend what she had just learned. "So why are you telling me to do something for it then?"

"She's going to be 17. She'll be an adult and, as much as I hate to say it, she has you now. No matter how hard I tried, I could never replace Summer for her. But you… She thinks the world of you. I…" Yang glanced over to Blake who smiled comfortingly in return. "We think that you can help her move on from her past."

"But first," Blake turned her attention back to Weiss. "You should probably find Ruby before too much more time passes."

"Right!" The white haired girl leaned over and dug her boots out from under her bed. As she stood to hurry out of the dorm, she saw something that gave her pause.

"Hey, Yang?"

"Yes?"

"Am I taller than you now?"

"Get out now, Ice Queen!"

* * *

"No, not here either." The heiress groaned to herself. After escaping from Yang's wrath, Weiss had systematically searched everywhere Ruby liked to go when troubled. All the places significant to the young leader. The courtyard that still bore a scorch mark from their first meeting, Beacon's cliffs where they were launched for initiation, the clearing where the two of them had officially become partners, and numerous other places. Now, she stood on the roof of one of Beacon's tallest towers, where they went stargazing for the first time.

"Where could she be?"

If she wasn't somewhere she could find solace where else could she be? The cafeteria would be too crowded, Weiss had already checked the workshop while walking, and she wasn't permitted to go into Vale until after her solo practical was over. The only place with any significance for her was the training rooms, where the brunette trained endlessly.

Slowly wandering her way down the tower and to the training rooms, Weiss still had no idea what she was going to say. Obviously, she needed to give an apology, but how to reassure Ruby that she would make things better, that she would try harder to be as good of a girlfriend to Ruby as Ruby was to her. And how to do that before Ruby left in the morning for her practical?

Pushing the door open she was disheartened to see the room empty. If her leader wasn't here, she had no idea where the girl could possibly be. As she turned she spied the door in the back corner, the one that lead to the locker rooms. A stray thought ran through Weiss' head and caused the heiress to erupt into a blush. Now was not the time to think that way. If Ruby was in there, she really hoped her leader was decent.

Cracking the door open she called in. "Ruby? Are you in here?"

Receiving no response, she entered to see a room completely barren except for a small red mass on one of the benches. Approaching confirmed her suspicions. Ruby was fast asleep on the bench. It wouldn't have been the first time Ruby had worked herself so hard she passed out, but she always made it back to the room first.

Looking affectionately down at the scythe wielder she sighed and mused to herself. "Silly dolt, why do push yourself so hard?"

Crouching down in front of the sleeping girl, she brushed Ruby's still wet hair out of her face. At least she had showered. Ruby looked so peaceful and content asleep that she was unwilling to wake the sleeping girl. Weiss weighed her options. On one hand she could sit with her girlfriend until she woke up, or she could call Yang and have her help her carry Ruby and her weapon back. If it wasn't for Crescent Rose she was confident in her own ability to get the girl back to the room.

Maybe she could place the girl's scythe in her locker, eliminating the need to move the weapon at all. But what could Ruby's locker combination be? The girl was a hopeless romantic, so it was probably something to do with the fencer herself. What about Weiss could be translated into a four digit pin. With her previous conversion with Yang and Blake still on her mind, she typed in her birthday.

Smiling as the locker beeped and popped open, she sidled back up to the sleeping girl and debated the best way to extract the folded up weapon from her grasp. Ruby was clutching Crescent Rose in a firm embrace like some sort of stuffed animal and the girl was notoriously strong from swinging said weapon around everyday.

Leaning over again, she placed a hand on one of the younger girl's arms and gently breathed on her face. While Ruby was hugging something, it wasn't warm, and as soon as she detected Weiss' presence the sleeping girl immediately reached out for her girlfriend, letting go of her weapon. Quickly snatching Crescent Rose before Ruby could grab her, she stored it in the locker and closed the door.

A small groan brought Weiss' attention back to Ruby. The shorter girl was still reaching out, trying to find the warmth that was previously there. Leaning over, she kissed Ruby on the cheek before crying out in surprise as the girl threw her arms around Weiss' neck and latched on tightly.

"Alright. Up we go." The heiress heaved with more effort than expected, scooping Ruby up like one would carry a child. Despite being at least a head taller than her leader, she had a lithe and willowy build in contrast to Ruby's much denser and more muscular one. She wouldn't be surprised if the short girl actually weighed more than her.

Making her way back to the dorm was a short affair. Thankfully, it was now late enough at night that rarely anyone was around. Those with missions tomorrow where already in bed, and those that already completed theirs were recuperating after their strenuous ordeals. Quietly opening the door to the room, she sighed in relief seeing Blake and Yang already asleep. One less thing that she had to deal with tonight.

Pulling back the sheets of her own bed she gently sat Ruby down, relieving herself of most of the sleeping girl's weight, allowing her to remove her red cloak. Forcefully extracting herself from Ruby's iron grasp, she laid the girl down and removed her shoes as well. Thankfully, the shorter girl had changed into sweatpants and a tanktop after working out instead of her typically battle skirt. Rolling her over, she tucked the girl in so she could get ready for bed herself.

Halfway through changing she heard a rustling sound from the bed. Hoping it wasn't Ruby waking up, she turned back towards the bed. She smiled slightly to herself as she saw the shorter girl grasping around the bed, as though she was reaching for something. Ruby was still seeking her presence in her sleep.

Weisses smile quickly evaporated as she heard a blood chilling sound. Ruby was whimpering in her sleep. Quickly pulling her nightgown over her head she rushed to the girl's side to comfort her.

"Weiss? Where are you, Weiss? Don't leave me!" Ruby's pleas came quietly; barely audible mutterings, but Weiss could hear them as clear as day.

"I'm here, Ruby. I'm not going anywhere." She stroked the girl's cheek with one hand, allowing Ruby to take ahold of her other hand.

While the younger girl was still asleep, and apparently having a nightmare, Weiss was overcome with guilt. Was she the source of Ruby's terrible dream?

"Please, Weiss. Come back. I don't want to be alone again."

Climbing into the bed the heiress pulled the smaller girl into herself, hugging her tightly.

"I'm not letting you go." Kissing her beloved, she made her promise. "I will never let you go."

Continuing to hold the finally quieted girl, Weiss slowly slipped into comfortable sleep next to the person she cared about the most.

* * *

Weiss stirred as she felt a pair of soft lips press against her cheek.

"Ruby?"

"Heya, Weiss." The silver eyed girl smiled gently. "Just wanted to say goodbye I had to leave."

"Mmmm." Weiss pulled her in for a long kiss. "Goodbye, My Dolt. I love you."

"Goodbye, Snow Angel. I'll see you in a few days." Turning back again, she smiled radiantly as Weiss started to slip back into sleep. "I love you too."

When Weiss woke up for the second time there was sunlight streaming through the open window. While she was alone this time she was still warm, uncharacteristically so. She had never been this warm before when sleeping by herself. Looking down, the pool of red fabric that now covered her answered her question.

"Ruby left her cloak?" She mused to herself.

"You betcha', Ice Queen!" An over enthusiastic voice rang out from her side.

Throwing herself away from the loud noise, Weiss tumbled off the other side of her bed, landing heavily on the carpeted floor.

"Was that necessary, you brute?!"

"Yup." Yang replied with an incredibly large grin on her face. "I wanted to congratulate you as soon as you woke up."

"Congratulate me?" Weiss scowled at the blonde who was still perched in the chair next to the bed. "On what exactly?"

"On making up with Ruby."

"But I didn't do anything."

"Nonsense. I told her about the conversation we had, sans the birthday revelation of course, and how you heroically charged off to find her. And not only did you bring her back, but you soothed her nightmare too."

"Wait, you were awake when we came back? I thought you were asleep!"

"Of course I was awake! My baby sis hadn't come back yet. How did you expect me to be sleeping? I just wanted to see what you would do."

"You're insufferable. You know that?"

"Yeah, yeah. But now you owe me a favor for helping you."

"You're blackmailing me?! That's low, even for you."

"Yup." Yang spoke emphatically, popping the 'p'. "Don't worry, I just need help getting everything set up for Ruby's birthday."

"You know I would help you with that regardless."

"Yeah, I know. But this way is much more fun."

"I… wait." The fencer's eyes widened in fear. "You said Ruby's birthday is on Saturday right? I may have a problem."

"Weiss…" Yang growled menacingly, her cheerful demeanor dropping in an instant.

"I'm supposed to be picked up on Friday evening after we are all released. I was to see Ruby one last time before going back home for the summer. Apparently Father has something big announcement for me this weekend."

"Sounds like you have a choice then." Yang stood up and tossed something onto the bed. "Ruby left this for you as well. I'm heading to the gym. I hope you make your decision before I return. And it better be the right one."

With that, the blonde turned on her heel and left the room, slamming the door loudly behind her. Wincing at the loud noise, the heiress looked at the item that now sat on her bed. It was a small envelopment. The only indication it was for her was a small, handdrawn heart with the letters 'R' and 'W' inside of it. Opening it, she pulled out a letter with Ruby's characteristic scribbles on it. No matter how much she tried to teach the younger girl, Ruby's penmanship never changed. Grinning to herself, she read the note her girlfriend had left for her.

' _Snow Angel,_

 _Sorry I couldn't give you a better goodbye this morning, but I was almost late as it is. Thanks for finding me last night, I probably would've missed my shuttle if I you hadn't brought me back to the room._

 _I want to apologize for the way I've been acting the last few weeks. I could tell you were stressing yourself out, but couldn't do anything to fix it. Yang set me right this morning though. She told me everything you guys talked about. I know you are trying as hard as I am to make this work._

 _Now that that is out of the way I wanted to tell you how much I'm going to miss you while I'm gone. I know it's only 3 days, but you were gone 3 days as well and, without anyway to contact you, it might as well be an eternity._

 _I can't wait to see you when I get back._

 _I love you so much, Weiss._

 _XOXO,_

 _Your Dolt_

 _PS. I took your white cloak with me. It'll be like you're constantly giving me a hug the entire time I'm gone, and should make the nights a little less lonely._

Smiling the heiress folded the letter backup and slipped it back into the envelope. Quickly getting dressed she threw her hair into a hasty side pony tail and slung Ruby's cloak over her shoulders. She had made her decision. Her father could wait, now she needed to find Yang.

* * *

It didn't take her long to find the blonde; the brawler stood in the middle of the boxing ring with her latest victim lying at her feet. Ever since her first year, Yang had run a club where students would duel in unarmed combat with their auras deactivated. The idea had swiftly caught on as it tested one's own natural skill, strength, and athletic ability, rather than one's aura enhanced abilities.

Pushing through the crowd that club always seemed to draw, Weiss managed to catch the fiery blonde as she was climbing out of the ring, making room for the next pair of combatants.

"Yang!" The heiress grabbed the blonde and instantly regretted her decision as Yang whirled around and threw a punch directly at her face.

Barely pulling the punch a centimeter away from her friend, Yang smirked at the startled girl.

"Oh heya, Weiss."

"Yang." The heiress regained her composure quickly. "I need help finding a present for Ruby."

"I take it you made your decision then?"

"I did. I'm staying."

Yang reflected the taller girl's serious expression, albeit with flickers of red starting to creep in her lilac eyes. "You do know this is more than just one weekend. You know how your family works. In your father's eyes you will be placing Ruby in front of his wishes and desires."

"How do you… Blake. Right. I guess she would be familiar with how a 'proper' Schnee works."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Yang slung an arm over Weiss' shoulder much to the girl's protest. "You promise to take care of my baby sis, and I'll fight alongside you until all your enemies look like poor Cardin over there." Yang gestured to the side of the ring where the rest of team CRDL were still trying to revive their leader, whom the blonde had just KO'd.

Weiss stopped struggling against the brawler's grasp. Despite the delivery of her statement, Weiss had learned long ago that Yang held a surprising depth of maturity hidden underneath her carefree and pun-ridden personality. In a sense, Yang had promised to shatter the rest of the moon itself if it threatened her.

"I'm… I'm not sure what to say."

"Well you were asking about a gift for Rubes." Yang dropped her expression back to her typically playful grin. "Is there not any Schnee traditions passed down your family for generations?"

"No." The heiress paused momentarily. What could she do that embodied her, as a Schnee, yet was something Ruby would enjoy. If the past two years had taught her anything, the brunette did not enjoy fancy, expensive, or flashy items. She relished in the simple and functional aspects of the world. The sentimentality always mattered more than the price tag.

It was such a stark contrast to what Weiss herself had grown up with. The price, the glitz, the glamour. Those were the things that affected social standing, and therefore the most important part of gift giving in high society. Trying to grasp Ruby's way of doing things was definitely a unique experience for the heiress.

Then the inspiration hit her.

"Actually yes. There is one Schnee method I could use." The white haired girl turned on her heel and took off. Before she she disappeared back into the crowd she shouted back one more time. "Thanks, Yang!"

* * *

"Thanks for doing this for me, Love!" Ruby pulled Weiss into an almost bone crushing hug and buried her face in the taller girl's chest.

Struggling to breath, the heiress managed to wheeze out. "You're not mad?"

Releasing her captive, the brunette stepped back and smiled. "How could I? You did all this for me."

"But Yang said…" Weiss was cut off as Ruby stood on her tip toes and gently gave her a kiss.

"Yang is right. It's time for me to move on." Ruby looked around at the remnants of her birthday party. Despite still being in the early afternoon, most people were starting to leave for home for summertime.

Pulling closer once again to her girlfriend, she whispered into the taller girl's ear. "I heard you had a surprise for me. Something about a Schnee special?"

Blushing brightly, Weiss hid her face from the shorter girl. "It's not what you think."

"I was thinking of a gigantic, genetically engineered strawberry grown in a top secret Schnee lab!" Ruby glanced up coyly at the heiress. "What were you thinking of?"

Weiss tried to scowl down at her girlfriend, but utterly failed to produce any scorn, real or otherwise. "I think you've been spending too much time with your sister."

The stare down only lasted for few seconds before both broke down into fits of laughter.

Turning around, Weiss addressed the remaining people.

"Thank you all for coming to help Ruby celebrate her 17th birthday!" She briefly paused to allow the cheering to subside. "Unfortunately I have to steal the birthday girl away. We have a reservation we have to be on time for."

Following Ruby out the she caught Blake's eye. The cat faunus gave her a small nod and a wink.

"Don't worry, Weiss. Everything will be ready by the time you get back."

The heiress smiled back to her friend. "Thanks, Blake!"

Once clear of the room, Ruby turned a confused look toward the taller girl.

"What's going to be ready?"

"Blake just promised she and Yang would clean the room before we got back so we can go into town." Weiss turned her smile towards

Ruby turned a skeptical eye towards her girlfriend, but thankfully stayed quiet. Enjoying each other's company in silence the duo made their way down to Beacon's airship dock so they could take the short trip into Vale.

Sticking true to her hyper nature, Ruby started to bounce around the airship while relentlessly chattering about anything and everything. Weiss simply smiled at the energetic girl. Gone was all the worry she previously had about forcing Ruby to celebrate her birthday. Still, she was a little nervous about how her girlfriend would react to her present.

As the ship landed Weiss snagged Ruby by her cloak before the girl could zip away into the city. Ruby wouldn't go too far, but their destination was relatively close by and the heiress did not want the surprise to be accidentally spoiled.

"Here, put this on." Weiss held out a piece of dark red cloth which the brunette quickly snatched out of her hands.

"A blind fold? I figured this would be for later tonight." Ruby flashed her partner a lopsided grin.

Weiss instantly blushed, only managing a stammer. "Wh-what kind of girl do you think I am?!"

"An easily flustered one?"

"Just put it on!"

Giggling to herself, Ruby secured the blindfold. Weiss came up behind her and placed her hands on the shorter girl's shoulders before grinning to herself and sliding them down to Ruby's hips. Guiding along her girlfriend by touch alone, she kept her hands just low and back enough to make the younger girl squirm.

Reaching their destination, Weiss pulled open the door brought her partner to a stop just inside the building.

"It smells like a bakery in here!" Ruby exclaimed loudly.

"Just a bakery?"

Ruby sniffed the air again. "More specifically, one specializing in cookies, brownies, and cakes. No donuts or bread."

"As always, your nose is impeccable." Weiss smiled before taking the blindfold off of the shorter girl. "Behold, your birthday present!"

"Ooooooh!" The cloaked girl jumped up and down excitedly clapping her hands. "Did you get them to whip me up a super special, super large, super yummy cookie?!"

Weiss facepalmed. "Noooo. Guess again."

"Did you get me a job here and now I get to taste test all of the cookies?!"

"Nooo." Weiss leaned over and kissed the younger girl on the cheek. "One more guess."

Ruby slowly looked around the bakery. "Wait, this is Mr. Pekar's bakery. But it's closing because he's retiring."

"It WAS closing, but it happens to be under new ownership now." Weiss threw her arms out dramatically, gesturing to the building in its entirety. "Welcome to the White Rose Bakery owned by none other than one Miss Ruby Rose."

Seconds ticked by as Ruby stood frozen in shock. The usually hyper girl was so abnormally still that Weiss could've sworn she was replaced by a statue. Finally, she snapped out of her inert state with an ear shattering squeal.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Ruby ran circles around Weiss, showering the taller girl in her signature rose petal as her semblance caused to revolve faster and faster. Grabbing her girlfriend's hands, she started to spin the heiress with her.

"You're making me sick, Ruby!" Weiss could already feel the onset of queasiness. No matter how many times Ruby exposed her to her semblance, she could never quite get used to it.

"Sorry, Weiss! I'm just so excited!" Letting go of Weiss' hands, she stepped and picked up the white haired girl in a hug and spun her around again before realizing her error. "Oops!"

"It's alright, Dolt." Weiss couldn't help but smile, she never wanted to do anything but smile around the girl anymore. "I'm glad you like it. I was worried that you might disapprove."

"How could I?! I own a bakery now!" The cloaked girl clutched Weiss' hands as she jumped up and down. "I've always wanted a bakery! It was my fallback dream if I couldn't be a huntress!"

"You ever wanted to be anything but a huntress?"

"Nope!"

"You're impossible."

Ruby simply replied by sticking out her tongue at the heiress.

"Anyways, with their expert help and guidance, we created an entirely new cookie, just for you." Weiss beckoned the waiting server over, who pulled the napkin off the plate he was holding. "Behold, the cookie that you always talk about in your sleep."

While Weiss stared in mild horror at the overly-sugared abomination that lay before her, she could see Ruby both blushing at Weiss' statement and salivating at the sight of the cookie at the same time.

She immediately set into the cookie and the second the first piece hit her mouth, Ruby's eyes widened in delight.

"Weiss, this is the best present ever!"

Leaning in close, she finally built up the courage to tell Ruby what her last present was. Leaning over she whispered into the shorter girl's ear "I hope the next one is even better. We have the room all to ourselves tonight, and I have one last present for you."

* * *

Weiss slowly rolled out of bed and carefully stretched out before seeking out her discarded nightgown from the last night. Ruby was still fast asleep, a rare moment as the brunette was normally the first to awaken everyday. Glad that Yang and Blake had yet to return after granting them the room, she set about her morning ritual in peace and quiet.

But the peace wouldn't last as a series of loud crashes resounded through the dorm room. Weiss yelped loudly and spun quickly to face the door, instantly regretting leaving Myrtenaster in her locker. Though even without her sword, she was an expert with her glyphs. Whomever was trying to break down the door would still have a fight on her hands.

As the door was struck again with another three blow cadence, Weiss realized that someone was knocking, albeit rather forcefully, rather than trying to forcibly gain entrance.

Regaining her composure, she walked over to the door and pulled it open.

"What is the meaning of-" The heiress' words froze in her throat. She recognized the white and light blue suits with the embroidered white snowflake crest.

"Miss Schnee. We're here to take you home."

* * *

 **I wonder what Weiss and Ruby were up to that night?**

 **While the story isn't about them or their relationship, I really wanted to show the depth of maturity and stability that Yang, Blake, and Bumbleby, had in comparison to the more inexperienced WhiteRose duo.**

 **As I post this I am constantly struggling with my crippling Overwatch addiction. And now Ana has been announced, so it's time to add another main to the collection.**

 **I really wanted this to end all fluffy, but unfortunately it does need a segue into the next chapter. As the second part of the title says, this is the first in little mini-arc where Weiss gets to make all the hard choices in life. The first part of the title is a terrible joke on the behalf of MrIlax, who refused to call this chapter by anything else. (The actual title being Weisses are White.)**

 **As always, let me know what you think!**


	5. A Summer (to) Break (Weiss' Choice Pt 2)

_Ruby held her scythe out in front of her, rose petals billowing from the cloak that fluttered in the light breeze. Behind her was the severed bodies of dozens of beowolves, though scores more stood in front of her._

 _Spinning her weapon, she sliced apart several more that had attacked simultaneously and fired a round to propel herself forwards. Dancing through the middle of the pack, the air became filled with the clamber of gunshots, guttural roars, and wet limbs hitting the ground._

 _This was where she was the happiest, out in the field killing Grimm and playing the hero. Well, that was where she had always been the happiest, but, recently, that changed. Now when she was on a solo mission, it wasn't the same anymore. There was a hollowness that persisted and it killed the joy she normally felt._

 _It wasn't that she didn't want to be a huntress any less, that is still what she desired most, she just didn't want to be a solo huntress anymore. She had finally found someone to share her dream with… hopefully._

 _Disappearing in a cloud of petals, the reaper zipped to the other side of the pack, attacking the unaware Grimm from the flanks. Repeating her previous process, she began her methodical slaughter._

 _She wished Weiss was here on this hunt. But, no matter how much she wished it otherwise, the heiress had other responsibilities, ones much more important than she was. Despite the promises made, Ruby knew one day that Weiss' desire to improve her family's company could potentially separate them. Though, she wouldn't let go without a fight._

 _Freeing herself from the pool of disintegrating Beowolves, the reaper squared up against the last Grimm standing. A massive alpha, probably centuries old and with all the strength and cunning that came with that, stood defiantly in front of the short huntress._

 _Smirking to herself, Ruby released the magazine in her scythe, letting the exhausted dust canister fall to the dirt with a thud. Pulling a new one from her belt, one marked with an intertwined snowflake and rose, she slammed it into place and worked the bolt, loading a fresh round._

 _The magazine was among the ammunition that Weiss had given her for Christmas when they first started dating. Not only did it imbue her attacks with ice properties, but it also caused the rose petals released by her semblance to turn white. She had once asked the fencer how she had managed it, but Weiss had simply shrugged and smiled._

 _Maneuvering her scythe so it was pointed away from her prey, she pulled the trigger,, firing the weapon and propelling herself forward to attack. Too quick for the Alpha to even react, the reaper's scythe slashed across it's chest, leaving a streak of ice on the beast._

 _Turning to evaluate her handiwork, and the stream of white rose petals she left behind, her vision was filled by a giant paw. The blow hurled her into the ground, smashing through her Aura in one blow._

 _Her whole body jolted in pain. Too weak to even get back up, she braced for one the last blow. One that never came._

" _I won't let you touch her." Weiss' voice, proud and defiant, filled her ears._

 _Barely managing to roll over, she saw the heiress standing over her, Myrtenaster at the ready. As the heiress lept forward, she danced back and forth, striking quickly and nimbly dodging the Grimm's swipes. But, much like Ruby's scythe, Weiss' rapier seemed to inflict no damage on the Alpha. Instead, it seemed to move faster with every hit it took, swiping at Weiss with terrifying speed._

 _Unable to call out a warning, Ruby could only watch in horror as Weiss was blindsided by a powerful strike, breaking through her Aura and throwing the heiress backwards, landing only a couple meters away from her._

 _Summoning the last dredges of her strength, Ruby crawled over to where her wounded partner laid. Bright ice-blue eyes flashed open as Ruby grabbed her hand._

" _I'm sorry, Ruby." Weiss coughed out, a trickle of blood escaping from her lips. "I tried to save you."_

" _It'll be ok." She pulled the heiress into a rough embrace. "At least we're still together."_

 _As she looked up to see the Alpha standing over them, it brought its massive back down in one last attack._

'BANG' A loud slam dragged her out of her dream, and into a blurry reality.

"W-what's going on on, Weiss?" She sat up slowly, still shaken from her dream, the sheet wrapped around her the only thing protecting her modesty.

"No time." The lithe heiress hurried over to the Ruby's dresser and pulled an assortment of clothing. Weiss pushed her out of the bed then shoved the clothing into her arms. "Hurry into the bathroom and get changed."

"Who's at the door?" She questioned, reality still a little hazy. Weiss was never this animated in the morning and she was more stressed than usual.

"That's not important." The white-haired girl snapped at her. "I just need you decent."

Allowing herself to be guided to the bathroom, she heard the door click shut behind her. Yawning, the scythe-wielder let the sheet fall to floor as she slowly pulled on the clothes her partner had handed her.

Contrary to her typical combat outfit, the clothes Weiss had given her were a little more conventional. A knee-length, pleated black skirt went over her dark red leggings while her simple black camisole was covered by soft, red vest with a large black rose design covering the left chest and shoulder. The vest itself had several loops sewn on it specifically designed to secure her cloak.

While getting dressed, she did try to pay attention to what was going on the other side of the door.

"Your father is disappointed in you. You were supposed to be home almost two days ago." An unfamiliar man's voice filtered through into the bathroom.

Ruby's face wrinkled in concern. Whoever was here probably worked for Weiss' father, but what did he mean that Weiss was supposed to have been home already? Her partner hadn't said anything to her about it.

"I had something important come up, but I'm ready to go now." Weiss' strained voice replied. "I just want to say goodbye to my partner before I leave."

Her concern devolved into a deeper emotion. An unfortunate side effect of dating Weiss was watching a lot of romance movies. The thing she always disliked about them, is when the girl ran, or was taken, away, her love interest never chased after her. Unlike the guys in those movies, she wasn't going to let that happen.

Fully clothed she pulled open the door. "I'm ready to go, Weiss!"

Like hell if she was going to let the girl of her dreams slip through her fingers.

Much to her credit, Weiss looked at her almost impassively. Though Ruby could see the small lingering traces of emotion on her face. The almost imperceptible twitch of an eye and quiver of the lip. Weiss was afraid. Whether it was of going home or, what the reaper really hoped for, being seperated, she didn't know. But, she did know one thing, she wasn't letting Weiss go home alone without a fight.

While the heiress showed almost no emotion, the two other occupants of the room were completely devoid of any. Both wore impeccably clean white and light blue suits, each clearly marked with the Schnee snowflake. While one of the men kept his focus on Weiss, the other turned his attention to Ruby.

"I'm sorry, but we will be only taking Miss Schnee with us."

"We decided differently." The diminutive huntress crossed her arm and tried to stare sternly back. "I'll be accompanying Weiss home with her for the break."

"We can't allow that. We are under strict order that Miss Schnee return alone."

"I'm her partner and leader. I won't allow her to leave unless-"

"What the hell is going on here?!" Another voice rang out from outside the room.

That was the other thing the movies never took into account. Usually the friends and family of the main characters simply existed for emotional support. They swooped in after some sort of trouble separated the two would-be lovers without helping solve any of the problems. They never took into account that the two lovers could have the best sisters to ever live.

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time." A very angry and irate Yang walked into the room. Her eyes glowing red and golden hair wreathed in flame. Ember Celica fully engaged on her wrists. Behind her in the hallway, Ruby could just make out Blake's stealthy movements. "What are you two suits doing here?!"

"It's time for Miss Schnee to return home." The shorter of the two men addressed Yang.

"And why can't Ruby go with her?" Yang approached the speaker, getting within inches of the man's face. "She is Weiss' partner and leader. She has every right to."

"We're under strict orders… to… bring-" The man's voice trailed off into nothingness as the fiery blond approached him. Ruby was now concerned for his well being. This was the most fired up she had ever seen Yang outside of combat. Any more provocation and the brawler might accidentally explode the entire room.

The second man tried to step up to Yang and fix the disparity in power. As he opened his mouth to speak a flicker of shadow wavered in behind him. Materializing behind him Blake reached out and grabbed the man, arresting his motion.

"You can stop right there." While the faunus spoke in her typical monotone, Ruby could hear the underlying anger.

The first man glanced between the huntress in front of him, and the other behind his partner. "Fine. We'll take both of you. But Lord Schnee will not be happy about this."

* * *

" _Please prepare for landing. We will be arriving in Atlas in 5 minutes"_ A small speaker repeated the pilot's voice.

Ruby had never been on a private airship before; she had barely been on regular airships before. The small craft was one of the rare fixed wing aircraft. Designed specifically for speed, most airship landing zones were inaccessible due to its need for an actual runway. Though, if you needed to get from one kingdom to another in record time, there was no faster option.

Even now, there was only 4 occupants of the main cabin. Ever since Yang and Blake had helped her accompany Weiss home, the two hadn't had a moment alone. The two retainers sent to collect the heiress had stayed with them throughout the entire journey. Due to their presence, Ruby had been helpless as she slowly watched Weiss fall into a bleaker, and darker, mood.

The airship itself was confusing in its own way. She would probably never understand any other rich person besides Weiss. While they didn't have to deal with large amount of travelers, the small size of the passenger compartment was incredibly restrictive. The only walkway that traveled from stem to stern was a narrow, not even a meter wide. On either side of the walkway were pairs of chairs in over a dozen rows. Leave it to rich people to trade privacy for cramped travelling conditions. Though, she really couldn't complain about the extravagance, or speed, of the airship itself.

As the flight passed in moody silence, Ruby racked her brain for any idea to cheer Weiss up, and had come up empty. For a woman like Weiss, words were empty. In her world, people traded endless amounts of lies, gossip, and doublespeak. It was a caring action the heiress needed the most. One she was incapable of providing because of their situation.

So, when they finally landed and slipped into an equally luxurious limo, she breathed a sigh of relief as the bodyguards took a separate SUV.

"Weiss, are you alright?" Glancing around the limo, she was pleased to see the divider between the driver and the passengers was raised, ensuring their conversation would be private.

She immediately sidled up to the heiress, wrapping one arm around the taller girl's narrow waist and leaned her head on her shoulder.

"Not really." Weiss briefly rested her own head on top of Ruby's who sighed in relief at the returned affection.

After a brief moment she sat back up and faced the shorter girl.

"Listen, Ruby. From the second we step foot inside White Castle you will be under the utmost scrutiny. Anything you say or do will reflect upon me."

Ruby stiffened at her words. Was Weiss embarrassed of her? Slightly dipping her head, she dropped her eyes away from her girlfriend's light blue ones.

"I'll try not to be a klutz."

"Ruby…" The reaper felt Weiss' cool hand slip under her chin, raising her eyes back up so they met. Despite the ice promised in the heiress' eyes, she only saw warmth. "I do not think you will embarrass me, especially not intentionally. My family just operates in a different way than normal people. Hopefully, whatever it is they need to tell me will occupy their attention more than you will. Though, we do need to set some ground rules.

"You know how my family feels about... our kind of relationship. Honestly, I don't know what would be worse in their eyes; The fact that you are a girl, or that you don't have money. As much as I want to, this would not be the opportune time to tell them about us. Can you promise me you will not do or say anything that will give away our relationship?"

"I…" While she hated the concept of having to hide their relationship, she understood where Weiss was coming from. From what she knew of Weiss' father, even in ideal circumstances, getting his acceptance would be an uphill battle at best. "OK. I'll keep it secret. For you."

"Thank you, Ruby." The heiress squeezed her tightly. "I love you so much."

Spending the last few minutes in a much more comfortable silence, Ruby felt Weiss pull away as the limo came to a halt. The white-haired girl glanced around and hurriedly smoothed out her clothes before the passenger door was pulled open by the driver.

"Miss Schnee." The well dressed man proffered a hand, helping the heiress out.

"Thank you, Merle."

"My pleasure, miss." The man bowed low.

As Ruby clambered out after Weiss, she was taken aback by what she saw. A huge gothic style castle rose before them. Made from pure white snow, it had light blue shingled roofs. Even though she could only see a small portion, Ruby had no doubt it could rival Beacon in size.

Quickly following Weiss, as to not be left behind, the two of them approached the massive front door. The doors, easily 8 meters in height, swung open noiselessly, seemingly on their own accord.

Ruby gawked at the main foyer as the doors clicked closed behind them, completely oblivious to the third person standing there.

"Welcome back, Miss Schnee." A warm voice tore her from her preoccupations.

"Klein!" Weiss hurried forward, approaching the short, portly man. "It's nice to see you again!"

Ruby was surprised at the heiress' reaction. From what she knew, Weiss had no friends and little to no comforts growing up. Obviously she held this man in high regard. It was nice to know that she had at least one friendly face as a child.

"For you and Miss Rose." He held out two steaming mugs of coffee. "Black for you and a cream and five sugars for the young miss, if I remember what you told me."

Ruby blushed slightly. That Weiss had remembered, and even shared her preferences with someone else, was incredibly flattering.

"Thank you, Mister Klein!" She smiled back at the friendly man.

"It should be I thanking you. I don't think I have ever seen Weiss so happy before."

"Th-thanks again!" She stuttered out. "I think?"

Struggling to hid her blush, she was glad when Klein turned his attention back to Weiss.

"Should I have the staff place Miss Rose's luggage in a guest room or," He leaned in and flashed the heiress a quick wink. "Your room?"

"Klein!" Weiss glanced around furiously before regaining her composure. "I mean, we are accustomed to sharing a dorm room. Please have a second bed set up in my room."

"I'll make sure it happens, discreetly." Klein bowed to the two of them.

Ruby jumped as she heard another set of footsteps approach them.

Klein glanced back as a fourth figure approached them from a connected hallway. "Anything else I can do for you, Miss Schnee?"

"As long as everything will be prepared, that's it." Weiss smiled.

"It will be done." Klein bowed low. "It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Rose."

Turning we walked away, briefly stopping to address the encroaching person. "Master Schnee."

"Whitley…" Ruby heard Weiss mutter under her breath. Judging by how stiff the heiress was now, especially after how relaxed she was with her conversation with Klein, Ruby guessed she was uncomfortable with what was about to happen.

"Good afternoon, sister!" A tall boy, at least half a foot taller than Ruby, and almost as tall as Weiss, approached them. Wearing blue slacks and a tapered, untucked white dress shirt, a light blue vest wrapped around his slender frame. Judging by the youthful look on the boy's face, Ruby assumed he was about the same age as her.

"Hello, Whitley." Weiss responded evenly. "What is it that you need?"

"Can't I wish my dear sister a sincere, 'welcome home'?"

"You are never sincere." Weiss scowled at her brother.

"You wound me!" Whitley reeled back, placing a hand over his chest in what Ruby assumed was feigned agitation. If he was anything like how Weiss was when they first met, every reaction was measured and calculated.

"Though, while I am here." He smiled again at his scowling sister. "I would not mind if you introduced me to your enchanting companion here."

"This is my partner and team leader, Ruby Rose."

"Miss Rose." He bowed low in front of the cloaked huntress-in-training. "It's a pleasure to meet some so, exquisitely beautiful."

Righting himself, Whitley took a step forward, plucking up one of her hands as she stared at him, he bowed forward slightly. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he gave her a kiss on the knuckles.

Much to her credit, she didn't instantly yank her hand away. Trying to act gracefully, as not to embarrass Weiss, she slowly pulled it back.

"The pleasure is in… my court!" Trying to smooth over her discomfort from what Whitley had just done, she forced a bright smile at him.

As the boy looked up at her she realized she was even more unsettled. While his color scheme and hair color were the same as Weiss', it didn't really bug her. However, the ice blue eyes that peered up at here were the exact same shape and shade as her girlfriend's.

"Come on, Ruby!" Weiss spoke before walking past her. Before she could figure out what was going on, she felt a violent tug on her hood as the heiress dragged her forcibly down the hallway.

"Bye, Whitley!" She yelled out while waving vigorously. While she was glad to be gone from the awkward situation, she knew she had to make nice with all members of her girlfriend's family.

Weiss didn't let her go until she had drug her down a long corridor and into a, compared to the rest of the house, small room. As she heard the door slam shut behind them, Weiss roughly forced her into the wall.

"Uh, Weiss?" She squirmed as the taller girl pinned her arms over her head. "What are you…"

Ruby was cut off as Weiss kissed her firmly, pushing her taller, more slender frame against Ruby's muscular one, trapping the shorter girl against the wall.

"Sorry, I've been wanting to do that all day." Weiss pulled back slightly, but didn't release her. "I'm just a little stressed being back her. Not to mention Whitely was making me a little jealous."

"Awww, you're so cute, Weissy." She teased the taller girl. "But I have no interest in him. He's actually a little, unsettling."

"I know that, Dolt! I'm just jealous that he has the ability to do that. If my father or Whitely were to have a relationship with what they call 'commoners' it would just be seen as boys being boys and doing their thing. Though Whitely would never be allowed to marry a common girl, he could seek 'companionship' with one."

Weiss sighed.

"I, on the other hand, am expected to only consort with a man of noble birth. Like I said before, I don't know what's worse, that you are a girl or that you don't have money."

"What do you plan on doing then?"

"I'm not sure, but no matter what happens here, just remember," Weiss looked at her with a hunger she had never seen in the heiress' eyes before. "You're mine, Ruby."

She shuddered at those words as the white-haired girl gave her one last peck on the lips and release her.

"Come on, we need to get ready for dinner. My father has limited patience and I'd rather not test that right now."

* * *

Ruby walked into the dining hall, side by side with Weiss. While Weiss had changed into a elegant white dress and a pair of flats, as to not make their height disparity too pronounced, they had both agreed that Ruby should keep wearing the skirt and vest she had been wearing all day. While Ruby's reason was comfort, Weiss agreed that she should try to look more like the huntress she was, instead of trying to win over the Schnees by playing dress up. Ruby was even proud that she was able to convince Weiss to let her keep wearing her cloak.

Sitting at the table were four other people. At the head sat a white-haired man with a moustache. On his left were three others, a white-haired woman with the same blue eyes as Weiss, Whitley, and man who looked to be in his mid-twenties, with a black vest over a maroon shirt, and a dark blue mohawk brushed to one side.

"Ah, Weiss." The woman greeted them. "I was just about to send Klein to come find you."

"Hush, Willow." The man sitting at the head of the table raised a hand. "Weiss, I have someone to introduce you to."

"Hello, Weiss." The man with blue hair stood and offered a small bow. "My name is Henry Marigold. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Ruby sensed Weiss tense up next to her as the man introduced himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She saw Weiss offer a small curtsy. "Father, Mother, this is my partner and team leader, Ruby Rose. Ruby, may I introduce you to my parents, Jacques and Willow Schnee."

Instead of emulating Weiss' curtsy, Ruby gave them a polite bow, careful not to go so low as to accidentally flip her hood over her head.

"It's wonderful to meet you all!" She smiled enthusiastically, trying her best to not cause problems.

Taking their seats, they started one of the most awkward dinners Ruby had ever been a part of. While Jacques and Henry talked together nonstop, with Whitely paying rapt attention, about business things that all went over her head, Willow and Weiss rarely talked. Occasionally Willow would direct a question to Weiss who would answer curtly before returning to her food.

As the dessert came around, Ruby sensed a change in the conversation.

"Weiss, we have an important announcement for you." Jacques spoke to Weiss for the first time since dinner had started. "After long talks with the Marigold family, we are proud to announce that our businesses and families with be intertwined through marriage. Tonight there will be an official engagement, Mr. Henry Marigold will be your fiance. The two of you shall wed in 3 months time. You no longer have to return to that silly hunter academy."

Ruby froze, and saw Weiss do the same out of the corner of her. She had promised Weiss she wouldn't do anything stupid, but she wasn't going to let go without a fight. Getting ready to stand and argue, Weiss' voice cut her off.

"I'm sorry Father, but I have an announcement of my own." Ruby saw, Weiss sitting tall and proud. "I plan on finishing my education at Beacon, and will become a huntress with the rest of my team. Any other plans, including engagements or marriage, will have to wait until after that."

"I see." Jacques looked contemplative for a few moments before standing up. "Weiss, if I might have a word in my study."

As Jacques left, both Willow and Whitely stood and walked out as well, leaving Weiss, Ruby, and Henry at the table.

As Weiss stood, Ruby looked up at her.

"Are you going to be alright?"

She shivered as Weiss leaned in and whispered into her ear, warm breath trickling over her exposed neck.

"As long as I have you, I will be. Could you meet me outside in the garden. I have a surprise for you."

"Ab-absolutely!" She squeaked out, flustered at Weiss' sudden closeness. First was the heiress' forcefulness before dinner, now she was being flirty in front of possibly the worst people in Remnant.

"Good." The slender girl stood from her seat at the table and switched to a more formal tone. "I need to speak with my father, then I will reconvene with you. Please wait for me where the roses are."

As the slender girl walked away, Ruby watched her go. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but the heiress' gait seemed to have a little more sway in it than usual. In light of Weiss' recent actions, and what the heiress had told her previously, Ruby was willing to bet it wasn't her own wishful thinking.

In a slight daze, she got out of her own chair and made her way out different door, one that she hoped led to the garden. Leaving Henry alone at the table, she deliberately avoided the stare the man was giving her.

As amazing as the house was, the gardens were even more incredible. As she continued to walk through the paths, she saw so many types of flowers she never even knew existed. Spying a set of tall, white stone pillars rising over a hedgerow, her curiosity got the better of her.

Finding an entrance to the hedgerow, she was rewarded with an area separated from the rest of the surrounding gardens. The hedges formed an almost complete 10 meter wide ring, with only one entrance. Only a meter in from the surrounding hedges was a ring of the white columns spaced regularly from each other. Throughout this new area were patches of roses in every conceivable color, from white to red to black.

Walking to the center of it all she looked around. It was breathtaking.

"Admiring the roses?"

Ruby jumped as a male voice came from behind her. Turning around, she saw the man from dinner leaning against a pillar near the entrance. He must have arrived just after her.

"Oh hi, Henry." She gave him a polite smile, hoping he wouldn't be around long enough to ruin whatever surprise Weiss had planned for her. "I guess I was. What are you doing out here?"

"I too was admiring a Rose."

"Which ones are your favorite?"

Ruby thought she saw a brief scowl cross his face. The man crossed over to where the deep red roses were.

"Recently, I've been a fan of the ruby colored ones."

"Those used to be my favorite ones too." Ruby chuckled at him. "But now I really like the white ones. They're so pretty they remind me of Weiss. But she's not just pretty, she's pretty pretty!"

Her eyes went wide at what she just said. She was close to giving away their secret.

Pulling a red rose from the bush, Henry began to approach her. As he got closed she took a step back to maintain space.

"I guess she's pretty, but she's so uptight and boring."

"No, she's not!" Ruby knew she was supposed to keep their relationship quiet, but she couldn't stand anyone insulting her girlfriend. "She's so smart and talented and kind."

He continued stepping towards her, with her trying to maintain space between them. She started to get an uneasy feeling about the situation.

"You seem to have a lot to say about my future wife, Rose. It's almost like there is something else between the two of you."

"What. Pfft. No." Ruby lied as she continued to back up trying to figure out a way to get away from Henry.

She squeaked in surprise as her back hit a column. Trying to side step and find her way back to the entrance of the rose garden, Henry reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her movement.

"I guess it doesn't matter. Our marriage is only a political one. I crave something a little more," He looked her up and down with a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Innocent."

Striking him hard in the chest with both hands in an attempt to shove him off of her, she was surprised when she saw a flicker of Aura protect him. Taking advantage of her shock he grabbed her by the wrists and pinned them over her head against the pillar. Holding her hands against the column with one of his, he grabbed her roughly under the chin, forcing her to make eye contact.

"What Weiss doesn't know won't hurt her." He grinned at her. "Right, Rose?"

* * *

"Sit down, Weiss." Her father commanded her as she closed the door of the study behind her.

Weiss walked into her father's study and examined the room around her. Nothing had changed since she had left. The room was filled with intricate woodwork, countless rare books and first editions, and the most luxurious leather furniture.

"I'd rather not." She stopped in front of her father's desk.

Jacques sighed. "What do you think you are doing? Do you know how long it took to negotiate this contract?"

"You said I could train at Beacon if I passed your test. The one you tried to make impossible. You even had your men capture a Geist for me to fight to make sure I couldn't win. Does your word mean so little?"

"My agreement with you pales in comparison to this one. The Marigolds are one of the largest producers of Dust and technology besides us. With this marriage, we will become more powerful than any one country. Your duty to your family is more important than being a silly girl trying to play soldier like your sister."

"My duty is to follow in my grandfather's footsteps. He was a huntsman too."

"And look what good that did him. If I hadn't stepped in to take control the whole company would have died." Her father exclaimed with a raised voice.

With Weiss temporarily stymied, her father continued with calmer tone.

"I've tolerated your insolence for long enough. You don't return my calls and you don't return when I tell you to. And when you do come home, you bring that… girl with you.

"How could you let someone like that beat you? How can you follow a leader like her? The rest of your team disgusts me as as well. One that dresses like a slattern and a faunus? How low have you sunk Weiss? Did we not raise you better than that? We are better than that."

Weiss struggled to keep her temper in check. Her father's sense of family was sickening to her. She had never felt so loved and supported in her life than she was at Beacon. Her team was her family. Blake and Yang were the best sisters she could ever ask for, and now her father was insulting them.

"A deal's a deal father." She managed to speak in an even tone. "I still have my copy of the contract you signed with me, and it supersedes any deal made afterwards. Whatever happens afterwards, I'll figure out later. But I'm returning to Beacon with Ruby."

Storming out of her father's study, the white-haired girl slammed the door behind her. She was too upset to deal with anything else right now, she just needed to find Ruby.

Stopping in the kitchen, she picked up a platter of cookies she had instructed the chefs to make. Not willing to share Summer's recipe with anyone, she had instructed them to make the same kind of cookie Ruby's bakery specialized in. Giving a brief thanks to the kitchen staff, she made her way into the garden, threading through the plants and flowers, following the shortest path to the meetup spot.

As she got closer Weiss noticed an odd series of sounds filtered through the trees of the garden; muffled noises and scuffles. More than likely, it was an animal foraging for food or supplies. Rounding the hedgerow into the center of the garden, to where she was supposed to meet Ruby, she dropped the platter of cookies in the dirt.

Seeing Henry pinning Ruby against the pillar ignited a blazing fire inside her. Instinctively summoning a glyph, the man was hurled across the garden with a yell of surprise. Briefly pleased to see the Henry tumble across the ground she ran to Ruby's side.

After Henry had lost his grip, Ruby hadn't moved at all except to pull her cloak around herself. Moving quickly to the younger girl's side, she hugged Ruby. As soon as she touch the smaller girl, Ruby latched onto and broke down into hysterical sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Weiss. I didn't know what to do." Her hard winced at the pathetic voice Ruby spoke in.

After seeing what Henry was trying to do, hearing Ruby's perpetually enthusiastic and optimistic voice so broken and small was the last shred that held back her rage.

"You did nothing wrong. I should have stayed with you." Weiss gave Ruby a small kiss on the cheek before pulling the reaper's hood over her head, something she knew would help comfort Ruby.

Separating herself from Ruby, she took several steps towards where Henry was picking himself up off the ground.

"How dare you attack me!" The man yelled at her.

"How dare I?" Weiss screamed back at him. "You take up my father's hospitality and then accost my… my teammate in my family's house?"

"You were promised to me." Henry snarled. "Since you won't fulfill the contract between my family and yours, I decided to take something else instead."

"You can't have her. She's mine."

"Try and stop me. You may be training to be a huntress, but I've had the finest fighting and dust instructors in Solitas. No matter how hard you fight, I will break you and take what's rightfully mine."

"You will never touch Ruby again."

Digging deep in herself, her love for and desire to protect Ruby, she summoned a massive glyph on the ground between her and Henry. With a low growl, her knight, her first real victory, the victory that lead her to meeting her beloved, crawled out of the glyph and stood tall and proud.

Henry barely had time to gasp as the knight brought down one of its massive fists, crushing the man into the ground. A bright flash of blue snapped around Henry as his aura flared, then was completely depleted by the force of the attack.

"What is the meaning of this?!" An angry male voice came from behind, causing her to freeze. The knight, having done its job, evaporated into white mist. Slowly turning around, she saw her father storming into the garden. As the man made a beeline for Ruby, Weiss interposed himself between the two of them.

"What is it that you think you are doing?" Her father stopped, his face inches from her. "You return home late and you bring home some rustic peasant you seem to think is your peer. Now you attack a guest in our house!" He gestured wildly first at the sniffling girl behind Weiss and then at the groaning man still splayed out on the ground.

"I didn't just attack him, I was defending Ruby. He was trying to-"

"It doesn't matter what her was trying to do!" Mr. Schnee screamed at her, spittle flying into the heiress' face. "He is better than her. We are better than her. She is inferior! Her kind only exists to subject themselves to our whims."

"No!' Weiss pulled Ruby in close behind her, trying to show the short girl she was still protected. "Ruby is not inferior to us. She is the kindest and best person I know. Just because she doesn't have money doesn't mean she doesn't have the same right to life as us!"

Her father scoffed at that. "We didn't become who we are by being kind, or good people. We are superior beings; with the money and power to prove it. And, if your time at Beacon has deluded you otherwise, you will not be returning. Especially not with this… trash."

"Trash? Trash?!" She screamed at the man who called herself her father. "You think you are better than everyone. You think everyone is lesser than you and should submit themselves to the desires of you and your peers. No. Ruby is accepting of everyone. She loves me for who I am, not who she expects me to be. Yes, I said love. I love her, and she loves me, and I will never let her go. You say 'we' didn't become who we are by being kind, but you're wrong. My grandfather built this company with his own blood and sweat, a company that protected those that worked for it instead of taking advantage of them. Grandfather was one of the kindest people I had ever met, and you destroyed his legacy with your cruelties. If anyone is trash, it is you, Father."

"How dare you speak to me like that." The man spat back. "I-"

"I dare!" Weiss shouted, cutting him off. "I'm taking Ruby and returning to Beacon. Don't worry, you won't ever have to hear from me again. Whether you want to make it an official disowning or not is up to you. But I'm never coming back to this place!"

Pulling on Ruby's hand, she lead the distraught girl back into the house and towards the front entrance. She was glad she could rely on Klein to always have her back. Pushing through the main doors, instead of a limo there was a small, unmarked airship waiting for them. One that could take them anywhere in Remnant they wanted to go. As they approached a steward opened the door for them. Weiss helped Ruby in first before following after.

Pleased to see all of their luggage already loaded, she took Ruby into her arms before directing the pilot.

"To Beacon, as quickly as possible."

* * *

 **Finally got this part out. Life really got busy for me in the summer and never really seemed to let up. Most of my writing time has been eaten up by DMing a D &D campaign. Then Volume 4 started and I wanted to see who else was introduced and what else happened.  
But it's here now!  
As always, if you enjoyed it enough, please fav, follow, or review. :)**


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